Breathless: The Story of Rachel and Paul
by Gracie143
Summary: What happens when Rachel returns to La Push and,gets imprinted upon by Paul? Follow them as they explore this new relationship. My first fanfic. Disclaimer: I do not own twilight.
1. Chapter 1

"You can keep the change," I told the cabby, getting out of the green taxi and staring for a moment at the little red house. It was the place where I had grown up- where I had lived for so many, many years. My dad had built it with his own two hands. He was so proud of the tiny home he had built for his family- Me, Jake, Rebecca,_ Mom_… A lump formed in my throat, and I felt my tear ducts kick into gear. No, now was not the time, I told myself. I needed to put on a happy face for Dad. I walked around to the back of the car and grabbed my two large duffel bags.

"Thanks," said the man appreciatively. I smiled back. He had been kind, polite, not even minding when I told him I wanted to be dropped off at La Push, which was over an hour away from the airport. He looked at my luggage, and then said, "Hey, you need help with those bags?"

"No, thank you, though," I said, waving before marching slowly towards the house. I was used to doing things on my own. I trudged up the muddy path and onto the low porch, my dad's old rocking chair swaying in the gentle summer wind. Not that it looked like summer in La Push, or anywhere else in Washington for that matter- it was far too gray and cool, not like the scorching Hawaii summers Rebecca gushed to me about over the phone. I knocked on the door loudly, and my father came to the door.

"Rachel!" He cried, ecstatic. I studied him carefully. He looked older and so tired, he faced lined and gray. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of him, even if I was worried; his joy was utterly infectious, like a kid on Christmas morning, that I had no choice but to be happy too. I pulled him into a tight hug, feeling the wetness behind my eyelids. The last time I had seen him was a year ago, and that had only been for three days.

I let him go after a moment, dragging my bags into the shoebox-sized living room and dumping them on the floor. I straightened up and surveyed the scene before me; everything looked pretty neat, but there were a few empty pizza boxes by the front door, and everything was a bit dusty. I felt guilty that my dad was living here, and angry that Jake hadn't been helping out as much as he should- I was going to have to have a serious talk with him later.

We went into the kitchen, and I sat down in my old chair, Dad rolling himself next to me and covering my hand with his. "I'm so happy to have you here with me Rachel," he said, his voice full of emotion. "I hope you decide to stay a while, at least the whole summer."

"I'm glad to be here, too, Dad," I said, smiling at him. I knew he wanted me to visit more often; I wish I could. But it was hard to come back here- there were so many memories. I avoided the subject of how long I would be staying; I wasn't making any promises. I figured about two weeks, at most. I changed my tone, trying to make light conversation. "So where's Jacob? Out with his friends?"

A look of acute pain, washed over his face, and I felt myself go rigid in my seat. "Oh, no" I said, my heart freezing in my chest. "Is something wrong? Is he in the hospital?" Was that the reason for my Dad's call two days ago, begging me to come up here?

"No, no everything is fine." He said quickly. My heart stuttered back into motion, but I didn't believe him. I stood up quickly.

"Tell me what's going on now, Dad," I said, my eyes narrowing.

He looked nervous, backing his wheelchair away from my approaching figure. He backed right into the refrigerator, and when he saw me with my hands on my hips, he gulped. I was acting sort of like Becca at the moment; she was the dramatic one. I was just a go-with-the-flow kind of girl.

"Jake ran away." He said. At that moment, I probably looked like I was in need of serious medical help. My baby, alone to fend for himself? Dad pushed me into a chair. Then I got my wits about me, and instead of going all mother hen, I got seriously pissed.

"Oh, hell to the no!" I hissed loudly, sounding way too much like Rebecca. Dad looked at me strangely for a second, perhaps wondering if I was just masquerading as Rachel; it could happen- we were identical twins, after all. Why on Earth would Jake leave our disabled father to take care of himself? Guilt tugged at my stomach as I realized I had done that very thing. But to run away… that was just too much.

"He's okay," Dad assured me hastily, but I could see how upset he was. "He's been keeping in touch with some… friends, and they've been letting me know what's going on. We're hoping he'll be home soon."

I stormed around the kitchen, and began to wash some of the dishes that were in the sink. Like the living room, the kitchen was ok looking, but not in the best of shape. "Just wait until I tell Rebecca…" I growled.

"I wish you wouldn't," he came to my side, a pleading look on his face. "I don't want to worry her. Jake really is alright, and I wouldn't have told you but…" his face grew even sadder and I reached down to place an arm over his shoulders. "I needed one of you to be with me. The pac-… some of the people have been great to me- we've all been good friends for generations. But it's not the same…" his voice trailed off. I reached down to hug him tightly.

"Don't worry Dad; I'll make sure Jake gets home soon." I comforted him. "And," I said, wanting to make him happy, but still hesitant, "I'll stay the entire summer." A huge grin spread across his face.

"Really?" He asked, his voice child-like. I nodded. Content, Dad scooted into the living room to watch the game; I smiled as I thought to myself, some things never change. I cleaned up the kitchen, and then dusted off the living room, ignoring Dad's feeble protests; it was time I helped him out. I sat by him in the old armchair, and watched the game with him for a while, trying and failing not to worry about Jake. Sports weren't my thing, but I wanted to keep him company, to give show him a little of the love that he had always given me.

Around ten, I stood up and yawned. It had been a long day. I kissed the top of Dad's head. "Love you," I told him.

"Love you too, Rach" He said, as I grabbed my bags and went slowly up the stairs. There were two doors at the top of the stairs: one was the door to Jacob's room, and the other belonged to me and Rebecca. My dad slept in the first floor bedroom. I creaked open the door and went inside the familiar room. I smiled as I looked at the pale purple walls; purple had been our thing, the one thing that Rebecca and I had actually agreed upon. Other than that, we were as different as night and day. I remember that in high school, someone had once commented that if it weren't for our looks no one would ever know that we were related.

I sighed. That was all the proof I needed to know that I was the boring twin. Becca had always been lively, dating boys and going to parties with her many friends. She was beautiful in a way that I would never be, even if we were technically identical; her skin smoother, her hair shinier, her smile brighter. Rebecca had also always been really into make-up and clothes; I liked those things too, but much, much less so. I was the 'smart one'- a bit mellower; I only had a few close friends in high school, but even then I didn't go out much.

Don't get the wrong impression; I'm not an anti-social hermit. Everyone in La Push is like family, but people were never just overly interested in me, especially with the breathtaking Rebecca around. I love to read, to learn; I'm only nineteen, twenty in a few weeks, but I had just graduated college. Nevertheless, I can't imagine life without Rebecca; it's a twin thing, you might not understand. (**A/N: How cool would it be to have a twin? I think so anyway…) **We're a huge part of each other, despite the major differences.

I looked around the room, smiling at the comical size. If the living room was a shoebox, than this was a matchbox. There was just enough room to squeeze in two twin beds, a long, low dresser, and a nightstand. There was a window, looking into the willow tree on the side of the house, and a closet next to the dresser. My heart swelled when I saw that my bed was made up with clean linens; Dad must have had someone go up for him to straighten out the room. I realized how much he really wanted me home.

I dumped my bags on Becca's bed- I was too tired to unpack now- and threw on sweatpants and a tee. Snuggling under the covers, I listened to the rain pound on the window as my thoughts turned to Mom. What would she say if she knew Jake had ran away? That thought made me cry, and tears trickled down my cheeks as I thought of her and my baby brother. Our family had already lost her- we couldn't afford to lose him too. My pillow was wet as I fell into a melancholy dream, my heart sad even in sleep.

I woke up early, in time to see the sun rising through the clouds. Sun- that was a rare thing in La Push. I got out of bed, feeling hopeful about the coming day. Mom would want me to be happy here, I told myself firmly. I got showered, and threw on beach clothes- my blue shorts and a tank top. I was going to go for a walk, relax a little, and then find some of Jake's friends- maybe they could tell me something about where he was. Grabbing a towel and a book, I left a note for Dad and took off down the road, heading to First Beach.

After walking for a few minutes, the beautiful place came into sight. It had been a long time since I had been here, at least two years. There were a few couples on the beach, and a mom with a few kids, but no one else. I wasn't surprised; it was still early, after all. I rolled out my towel, and tried to read, but my eyes were becoming increasingly heavy. Finally, I just rolled onto my side and fell into a light sleep.

I woke up to the sound of raucous laughter. The beach had become more populated, and I looked around hopefully for any of my old friends. I wasn't surprised when I didn't see them; like me, they had all escaped to college. I guess I was the only one who graduated early. I looked over in the direction where the laughter was coming from, and a huge smile lit up my face.

There, 15 yards down, were Quil and Embry, Jake's best friends in the whole world. They were my good friends too, that's how much time they've spent with my family. I hardly recognized them; they were huge, so muscular, and well over six feet. They looked… well, hot. Not that I thought of them like that… it was just so strange to realize how much everyone had grown up. They were walking in my direction, a few other people with them: a guy and a girl holding hands, a sweet-looking toddler, and another huge, gorgeous guy.

"Rachel Black! Is that you?" yelled Embry in disbelief, just as I was sitting up. He ran down the beach, and basically tackled me, knocking me to the ground again.

"Yes, it is! " I gasped, trying to compose myself after being locked in his bone-crushing hug. He moved to sit on my towel, a huge grin on his face.

"We've missed ya, babe. So how've you been?" he asked as Quil and the rest of the group came closer.

"Good, good. What about you? Look how huge you are! I can't believe you're only seventeen." I said, gaping once more at his humongous figure.

"Only seventeen?" He scoffed. The group of people he had been with reached us now, and we both stood up.

"Rachel!" said Quil, surprised, and leaned in to hug me. Once again, I was left massaging my ribs.

"Hey Quil!" I squealed. It was so good to see these people; I had really missed them.

"Guys, this is Rachel Black," said Quil. "Rachel, this is Jared and Kim," he pointed to the couple, who waved at me, "Claire", he patted the little girl on the head, "and Paul." He made a gesture towards the guy, who was staring, transfixed at me. He really was good-looking. Tall, built, copper skin and big brown eyes… I looked back at him. He was still staring. I was confused; boys never looked at me like that, especially beautiful ones. I was just plain old Rachel, nothing special. He looked at me like I was the only thing he could see. He took one step closer to me, and hummed my name under his breath. What was going on?

"Hi," I said, looking around at them. I recognized all of them, except for the little girl; when it came to La Push, everyone knew everyone. I was pretty sure Jared and Paul had become friends with Jake within the last year or so. Embry was standing next to me, and he kept looking back and forth, between me and Paul, who, by the way, was still staring. Suddenly he started laughing, as did Quil and Jared. Embry got an evil look in his eye, one I knew all too well. It was definitely enough to make me seriously nervous.

"So Rach," he said, throwing his arm over my shoulders, "Did you miss me?" I rolled my eyes. He was always such a flirt; he and Quil were always like that, trying to get girls. I didn't mind him kidding around; I had really missed that, the easy relationships I had back home. I played along with his silly teasing.

"Yes, sooooo much," I said, fake swooning. He guffawed, looking over his shoulder at Paul, who looked really pissed off. His expression was furious, and his fists were locked. Everyone sat down on my blanket, and Paul reluctantly followed, a murderous glare still etched on his face. What was up with him?

"So Rach," he said, moving his hand to my leg and giggling like a five year old, "How much did you miss me?" He leaned in, close to my face. I smacked him on the back of the head. He laughed, but looked unrepentant.

"I see you haven't been good," I said, rolling my eyes at him. Quil was biting his lip, trying to keep from laughing, while holding Claire on his lap. Jared sat with Kim, a half-frown on his face. Paul was shaking violently, looking ready to punch Embry's lights out. I was started to get a little scared of him.

"So anyway," I said, "You have to tell me what you guys have heard from Jake." All four boys looked uncomfortable; Claire began fussing, and Kim got up to take her for a walk.

"Well," said Quil, treading carefully. "He went up north. He's somewhere near Canada…"

"Canada!" I shrieked. I was going to kill that boy! (Although, that might be hard, if he had grown as much as his friends…)

"Listen," said Jared, looking nervous. "He doesn't want us to say much…"

I got up angrily; this is my brother we're talking about! They weren't being any help. I turned to go, and felt a warm hand grab my own. I turned around, and I was face to face with Paul; he was only inches away. I took in a deep breath, and became intoxicated by his smell- woodsy, warm… "Please don't go," he whispered. I looked at him uncertainly, then separated myself from him and sat down. Jared, Quil, and Embry had matching Cheshire-cat grins on their faces.

I avoided the topic of Jake for a while, and the five of us chatted about other things for a while. Well, four of us chatted; Paul stared at me the whole time. I caught his gaze more than once, making my face heat up. I was still beyond puzzled; why would he waste his time looking at me? After an hour, I got up. I had to be getting home.

"I gotta go," I said apologetically to the boys. I had a great time with them.

"Rach, we're having a party tonight down at the beach. A lot of us will be there. You wanna come?" asked Quil. I smiled. That sounded great.

"Sure," I said. I would love to see everyone again. "See you tonight," I said, gathering my stuff and heading back up the beach.

"Bye, Rachel," called Paul softly. I waved at him, and continued up onto the road. Once I was out of their sight, I could hear Quil, Jared, and Embry roaring with laughter.

"Dude, Jake is gonna beat the crap out of you when he finds out!" said Quil, still choking with laughter.

"What a girl!" Embry laughed. "Bye Rachel!" he called in a singsong, girlish voice. Paul snarled.

"Man, you really shouldn't have been messing with his imprint like that," said Jared to Embry. There was a moment of silence, and then he broke out into laughter as well. "But the look on his face when you were gonna kiss her!" They roared like a pack of wolves.

I stood frozen, not sure what to think. What was the weird thing Paul had for me? What would Jake be finding out? And what was an imprint? I hurried home, feeling more confused than I had ever felt in my life.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note

Hey! This is Gracie. I decided to write my first fanfic on Rachel and Paul- they are one of my favorite couples, even if they are a bit obscure. It would mean so much to me if you would read my story, and then REVIEW! It really would make my day… I'm open to ideas, as well as constructive criticism; a little encouragement never hurt either ; ) . As soon as I receive five reviews, I'll post the next chapter. Thanks!

Gracie

P.S. I promise no more icky authors' notes in between chappies!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **

**Hey! I decided to update a little earlier than I had planned. This next chapter is about what happens at the beach party… hoping you like it! HUGE thanks to SweetlyBroken33, Ruby Crowned Kinglet, and twilight-is-so-amazing! You guys are the best; your reviews mean so much! Enjoy, everyone!**

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Chapter 2

I walked home quickly and let myself in the front door. "Dad?" I called out. He couldn't still be asleep, could he?

"In here, Rach," He called out. I walked into the kitchen where, to my surprise, he was sitting with Sam Uley. Sam was a year or two older than me, but a family friend, as was everyone in La Push. He, like all of the boys around here, had gotten enormous, as well as enormously good-looking. I wondered what he was doing here- he didn't usually come to visit by himself.

"Hey, Sam!" I said. He gave me a big hug, and I smiled at him.

"How are you, Rach?" he asked, towering over me. I wasn't sure this height thing was something I could get used to. I felt extremely tiny next to all of these boys, but at 5' 7" I was considered tall for a girl.

"I'm doing pretty good, glad to be home." I told him, which was the truth. Even though I had cringed at the thought of coming back, I forgot how good it was to be around the people that you had known forever.

"Congrats on your graduation." he said, looking impressed. "Billy told me."

"Thanks," I said. "So what have you been doing?" I asked.

"Oh, you know, work." He answered nonchalantly.

"Oh, that's great." I said enthusiastically. "So what do you do?"

"Well, stuff around La Push." He said. "This and that. It can get pretty hectic." He laughed to himself, like he was enjoying a private joke. I couldn't imagine what would get hectic around here- a little reservation in the middle of nowhere. "Well, I've got to be going," said Sam. "I just wanted to let you know what was going on, Billy." He inclined his head toward me. I frowned. What was that supposed to mean?

"I'll see you at the beach tonight, Rach." He said. "You can meet my fiancée, Emily." What had happened to Leah Clearwater? Last I knew she and Sam were pretty serious; now he was getting married to another girl? Jeez, I was really out of it. I would have to get the lowdown from Dad, or the boys.

"Yeah, see you tonight, Sam." I closed the back door behind him. Wait a minute; how did he know I would be going to the beach? I just shook my head. Things around here had gotten strange. Since when was a little town so unusual? I turned around. Dad was sitting in his chair, staring at me contemplatively, as though seeing me in a whole new way. He wasn't the first one today, I muttered silently to myself.

"So what did you do?" He asked.

"Um, I went to the beach, and then I ran into some of the boys. Quil, Embry, some of Jake's other friends…" I definitely wasn't imagining anything; Dad was gazing at me in a strange way. His eyes began to fill with tears. "Dad!"I cried. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing's wrong, Rach." He said, wiping his eyes and trying to be all manly. "I'm just so happy to have you back home, and now-well, I don't want to lose you to… never mind. So what did you do with them?"

I hugged Dad tightly. "Dad, I'm so sorry I haven't been around much. It's hard to come back here." I said, gulping as I contained my own tears. "You will never lose my love, Dad. I'll never leave you." He patted me on the back. I stood up and gave him a watery smile.

"We didn't do much at the beach." I told him, trying to make lighter conversation. "But I think one of Jake's friends is a little…uh…" I wiggled my hand not sure how to explain it.

He looked like he was trying to take me seriously, but I could tell he was amused. A little smile was playing around his lips, though he did his best to conceal it.

"Well, this guy Paul… he kept staring at me. In a very different way. He seemed a little strange." I said, biting my lip. Dad looked delighted these words.

"You think Paul is crazy?" he asked, looking seriously happy about that.

"No…" I didn't like to jump to conclusions about people; how many times had I had that happen to me?

"Maybe he likes you," He said, winking at me. I gave him a look. An amazing, but totally weird, guy like that was never going to be attracted to Rachel Black, The Nerd. Dad was cheerful now, chuckling quietly to himself.

"His imprint thinks he's crazy," I heard him mumble. He laughed loudly now, and rolled himself into the living room.

"Dad, what's an imprint?" I asked, sticking my head around the corner. He froze.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "Where did you hear that?"

"You just said it." I pointed out. "And I heard the guys say something about it at the beach."

"Those idiots are never careful," he muttered, totally disregarding the fact that he had just said it right in front of me. "It's nothing. You must have heard wrong."

I pursed my lips. Why wouldn't he tell me? I had excellent hearing. I knew what he said. Besides, I had heard it twice in one day. "So," I said, letting the original issue drop for the time being, "What have you heard about Jake?" I asked. "Where is he? Why did he leave? What are we going to do about it?"

Dad sighed. "His friends let me know when he contacts them. He's up by Canada." He sighed again, more deeply now. "Do you know Isabella Swan?" he asked. I nodded. She was Dad's best friend's daughter. We used to hang out with her when we were little, when she actually came to visit.

"Well, she's lived with her father for the past year and a half. She and Jake became really close, especially during the past winter… well, he loves her. It's as simple as that. And she turned him down for this other boy, Edward Cullen. She's getting married to him pretty soon. Nice enough people, I guess." Dad was caught between the facts that the guy was decent, but that he was the reason Jake was gone.

My heart hurt for Jake. He needed to be with someone who loved him for the fantastic guy that he was. "I don't think there's anything we can do." Dad continued, resigned. "I asked the boys to tell him the next time he, err, calls, that you're visiting, and that we want him home." I nodded. I needed to resign myself to the fact that the only person who could bring Jake home was himself. He wasn't a little kid anymore. Yet, it was still so hard to accept that there was nothing I could do to help him.

I still had the feeling that there was something going on that my Dad wasn't telling me. I guess I would have to do some more digging tonight, if I could. I lounged around for the rest of the day, and did a little cleaning. Around five o'clock I made soup, a light dinner before we headed to the beach. Dad was going too; La Push parties usually included people of all ages. And everyone wants to celebrate the beginning of summer, whether you're old or young.

After dinner, I ran upstairs to get ready. I looked through my clothes, trying to decide between my limited choices. I wanted to look good, to show all of these boys that I wasn't just Rachel, the "smart one". I wore a denim skirt and a red, off the shoulder top that I borrowed from the collection of Rebecca's clothes still left in the closet. My hair was down, swirling around my shoulders, and I put on a little make-up. I was surprised when I saw myself in the mirror; I actually looked kind of pretty. Dad looked shocked when I came down the stairs, almost like he wanted to tell me to go upstairs and put on a sweater. I laughed to myself as he tried to decide wait to say.

"You look nice," he finally stated. I internally sighed. Great, Dad. Really, original. Oh, well. That's the best you get when it comes to men, I suppose. I thanked him and went out the door, stepping into the fading light of the setting sun.

When we got to First Beach, it looked like half the rez was already there. Dad went off to sit with Old Quil, and I walked shyly over to Sam, where he sat with a beautiful girl, presumably Emily. They sat around one of the blazing fires littering the beach.

"Hi, Rach!" said Sam. He wrapped his arm around the girl, who smiled kindly, and pulled her gently forward. "This is my Emily. Emily, this is Rachel. Rachel Black." Emily brushed her hair off her face, and smiled at me. I froze. Horrible scars covered half of her face. I smiled back quickly, not wanting to hurt her feelings.

"Hello Rachel." Emily said in a sweet, warm voice. "It is wonderful to meet you. I have heard so much about you." Sam stared at her lovingly, enraptured by her words.

"Hi, Emily," I said, barely noticing her scars now. Things like that never phased me, but I still wondered… "It's nice to meet you too." She pulled me into a gentle hug. The three of us talked for a few minutes, and I was surprised at how comfortable I was with a stranger. I already felt like she was my good friend. Suddenly our small group was joined by a much larger one.

A number of loud voices greeted us. Embry, Quil, Jared, and Paul came to sit at our fire, along with Claire and Kim. A few younger, but still quite big, boys trailed behind them, including Seth Clearwater and two guys called Brady and Collin. They all took seats on the scattered driftwood logs. I noticed Paul was looking at me again, except this time his mouth was hanging open. Um…

"Sorry to break up this cozy gathering." Said Embry, squeezing in between me and Emily and sliding his arms around us, "But I saw these two babes and thought I should come say hello." Sam glared at him, and he released his grip on Emily, but not me.

"Embry," said Sam warningly, looking pointedly at me, and then Paul, who was giving Embry a death look. Embry removed his arm. I didn't know what the problem was; even I knew Embry was kidding. And what was the big deal everyone was making over me and Paul? It's not like I belonged to him; we had barely even talked!

Sam slid his own arms comfortably around Emily and started whispering in her ear. Her eyes grew wide, traveling from me to Paul and back again. I caught Sam saying "That's why I had to go to Billy's earlier". A joyful expression came over half of her face. She smiled at me one more time, and then walked swiftly over to Paul, grabbing him by the arm and taking him for a walk down the beach. She looked like a teacher instructing her student. Sam watched her go longingly. Then, he got up and went to go get some food. I looked around me. That's where it seemed a lot of the boys had gone.

Kim came back with a plate of food, and sat down next to me. "Hey, I'm Kim," she said, smiling and extending her arm.

"Hey," I said, putting out my own hand. "We didn't really get a chance to talk earlier." I laughed.

"Yeah, the guys were hogging you." She giggled.

"So, you're Jared's girlfriend?" I asked as she took a bite of a hamburger.

She swallowed. "Yep," She said. We talked for a easily for a few minutes; Kim liked to read too, and pretty soon Emily had come back, plopping down next to us. We got along well together. It was almost as if we were meant to be friends. I decided to go get a plate of food when I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Paul.

"Hi, Rachel," he said, tugging nervously on his shirt. "Do you want to go for a walk with me?" I blinked in surprise. I saw Emily looking over at us, giving him a big grin. I suddenly realized what they might have been talking about: me.

"Sure," I said. We walked up from away from the party, down the coastline. I'll admit I was a teeny bit nervous, afraid I was going for a walk with some kind of psycho. We passed Collin and he waggled his eyebrows at Paul, giving him the thumbs-up. We walked quite a bit, so that the glowing bonfires were all that I could see of the party. We stopped when we hit the trees. He sat down on a large boulder, and I took a seat next to him.

"You look so beautiful," he said to me, his eyes traveling up and down my body. I felt my skin heat up. No one, besides my parents, had ever said that to me before. I turned to look at him, and he was gazing at me, the same way he did on the beach, but it didn't creep me out now.

"Thanks," I said softly. He looked unbelievable. I could see every toned muscle beneath his shirt. I slid just a little closer to him. I could almost count his eyelashes he was so close. I took in a deep breath and… a loud noise, echoing to us from the party, made us jump. We broke apart, and he grinned at me, biting his lip.

"So where did you graduate?" He asked me, twining my fingers with his. I loved the feeling of his warm hand holding mine. We talked for a long time, slowly making our way back. I chatted and laughed easily with him. Paul was really funny, and more than once I found myself staring at his mouth. I wanted to try and kiss him again…

Pretty soon we were back at the party. He gently released my hand, and I found myself wishing he wouldn't. He looked pained to have to do so. We joined our circle again, and this time he sat down next to me. "Where have you two, been?" asked Embry, making kissing noises at us. Paul started to get pissed, but I just laughed. Embry was only embarrassing himself. How old did he think we were, twelve?

The fire started to flicker, and I yawned. Paul wrapped his arm around me, and I leaned into his hard, muscled side. It felt natural, like that was the way it was supposed to be. I let myself drift off… I opened my eyes. The fire was out, and people were leaving. Paul gently helped me to my feet, and I hugged everyone good-bye. Emily invited me over next week; she said we could have a girls' day with Kim, which sounded like a lot of fun. I saw Dad waiting for me at the top of the beach, where he was eyeing Paul with a certain amount of suspicion.

"Good-bye Rachel, "he said, leaning close to me and brushing a strand of hair off my face.

"Bye, Paul." I said. "I had fun with you," I said, offering a tiny smile. His whole face lit up like I had just told him he won the lottery. His smile faltered, and he hesitated.

"Would you want to go out tomorrow?" He asked, sounding worried that I might reject him.

"Yeah, I would" I said, smiling widely back. He looked even happier than he did a minute ago, if that was even possible.

"Great. I'll call you." He said. I squeezed his hand once, and walked up the beach to meet my dad, who looked thoroughly disgruntled.

"I thought you said he was crazy." Said Dad as we made our way home.

"I changed my mind." I informed him.

"Oh?" He said, sounding like he wanted more information, but he wasn't getting any. I changed the subject.

"Dad, what happened to Emily?" I asked quietly. I had been wondering what had happened to that poor girl to injure her so permanently.

"She was attacked by a bear up in the mountains, sometime last year. She only just made it." Said Dad, pity in his voice.

I was horrified. What a horrible thing to happen to someone, especially someone as kind as Emily.

"Sam is a lucky guy to have her," said Dad. I nodded vigorously in agreement. I could already tell without a doubt that she was a great person. We talked companionably the rest of the way about some of the other people at the party.

I got into bed that night thinking about one person: Paul. I hadn't even known him for one day, but I could already feel a major attraction to him developing. It had been a while since I had liked anyone and a whole year since I even had a boyfriend. I could hardly wait for tomorrow.

**So what'd ya think? REVIEW, please! I'm getting hits, but I really wanna know what you think. PM me if you want a sneak peek at the next chapter!**

**Love, **

**Gracie :P****H He **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey! This is the third chapter of Breathless. It's pretty long, but I couldn't resist. So Paul and Rach go on their first date (aww…) before running into the boys, who, of course, stir up some major trouble (but how could we ever get mad at them?). Tons and tons of thanks to SweetlyBroken33, Ruby Crowned Kinglet, twilight-is-amazing, and ChloeHeartlessx for their encouraging reviews! That is what keeps me going!!! You are all so great! Thanks also for all the faves!!!!**

**A special shout-out to ChloeHeartlessx, who gave me the idea for the last major part of this chapter. It made this part of the story ten times better than it would have been. Thank you!**

**Enjoy, guys! Don't forget to REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

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Chapter 3

I sat up, yawning sleepily. I knew something important was happening today, but it took me a minute to remember. When I did, I straightened up, immediately becoming alert. I was going out with _Paul_ today! I felt like I was fourteen, giddy with excitement at the thought of a guy calling. Yoga breaths, Rachel, yoga breaths. I breathed deeply, and peered out the window. It was an overcast day, with big clouds looming over the coast. I tromped downstairs, where Dad was sitting with a cup of coffee and the newspaper.

"Morning!" I said brightly, rummaging through the cabinets. I took out some crackers and poured a glass of orange juice. Dad smiled up at me.

"Hey, Rach!" He said, picking up on my mood. I think he had an inkling as to what I was doing today, but, being Dad, he wanted to make me say it.

"You're up late." He remarked, and I glanced at the clock. It was after eleven. Wow this _was_ late for me. I'm usually an early riser. This was a waking hour more typical of Rebecca.

"So any plans for today?"He asked, grinning shiftily at me. I downed my drink and set the glass heavily on the table.

"Yeah, I'm going out with Paul." I said, looking him straight in the eye. He wasn't going to make me squirm; I was an adult now…technically.

"Oh really? When?" he asked, smiling wider. I scowled just a little at him.

"He's going to call. I'm not sure yet." I bit my lip. What if he didn't call? That would be so embarrassing, especially since Dad would know.

"Oh wait a moment," he said, a look of fake thoughtfulness on his face. "I do believe we received a phone call, about an hour ago, looking for Ms. Rachel Black. Could it be…? "He tapped his chin as I glared at him, waiting for him to finish. He could be such a tease sometimes. He chuckled at the annoyance on my face. "Okay, okay," he said, holding up his hands. "His number is by the phone."

"Thank you, O Father," I said sarcastically, miming his formal tone. He smiled at me, and I quickly returned the favor. Even when he was teasing me, it was hard to get annoyed for long. I dialed the number and the phone began to ring. Once, twice…

"Hello?" answered an eager voice. I knew it was Paul's from the moment I heard it.

"Hi Paul. It's Rachel." I said, trying to make my voice sound sophisticated (which, let me tell you, is a hard thing for a girl wearing snowman pj pants to do.)

"Hey, Rachel!" He said, sounding relieved, and about as excited as I felt. He waited for a sec before he began talking.

"So I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go to lunch with me," he continued. "There's this good place in Port Angeles. And after, we could do something…" he trailed off.

" Sure, that'd be great," I said, trying to stay cool but seriously wanting to jump up and down and call Becca to tell her. I couldn't believe he wanted to take me to lunch in Port Angeles! I had to get ready!

"Ok, I'll pick you up at twelve thirty. That good?" He asked.

"Yeah, that's perfect." We hung up, and I started to do my happy dance, until I realized my dad was sitting right there watching everything I do. Oops. I tried to play it off like I was coughing really hard. Yeah, right.

"Going out?" he asked, a silly look on his face, which I assume was the result of my dance.

"Yep." I said, and started to head up the stairs. Then I remembered what I had told him yesterday about never leaving him. Weird, it's almost like he knew…I came back down.

"Just this afternoon," I amended. "We could do something tonight…"

His face brightened. "That'd be good. We'll figure something good out." I agreed, then headed upstairs to make myself Paul-presentable.

I decided to wear a pair of worn jeans and a pretty scoop-neck black tee (also stolen out of Becca's clothes). I wasn't exactly sure where we were going, but I figured this would be fine. I clipped the top part of my hair back, letting the rest cascade down my back, as well as a few tendrils in the front. It was still a little damp, but it would soon dry. After applying some mascara and gloss, I headed downstairs with my bag to wait for Paul.

Paul pulled out front after a while, waiting in his running car. I peeked out the window- his car was fairly nice, a pickup truck that was probably thirty years old , but kept in very good condition. I didn't hold stock in such things, but I was just interested to see it. I pecked Dad on the cheek and headed out front.

As soon as he saw me, he jumped out of the car to open the passenger door for me. "Thank you," I said, admiring his chivalry. And, okay, also his bod. He, like me, wore jeans, paired with a white tee shirt that hugged every muscle. I was probably drooling. I climbed in, mentally shaking myself as he went around to his side. I wasn't usually one of those girls that gushed over every guy they saw, and I didn't plan on becoming one now.

"Thanks for asking me," I said as we pulled out onto the road. He looked over at me, probably for too long a time, making me scared that we were going to crash.

"I'm glad you came," he said. "So I thought we could go to this diner- it's pretty cool, it has a fifties theme- and then we could figure it out from there."

"Yeah, sure," I agreed. "So how long have you lived in La Push?" I asked him. I had known who he was, but not all that much about him.

"About as long as you," he said. "Forever. When my dad left my mom, she was only just pregnant with me. She moved back home because she had been in Chicago for two years, and then had me. We've been here ever since."

"I'm sorry about your dad," I said. I was fortunate enough to have the love of two parents, even if one was gone now.

He shrugged. "It's cool. I live with my mom and her brother; he's never gotten married, so he's been like a dad to me for all these years." We got into a habit that one of us would ask a question, and then the other one had to answer it, before the person who asked it gave their own answer.

"What's the worst thing about La Push?" He asked me as we drove into Port Angeles an hour later. He was acting less formal now; we were both a little more comfortable.

I got quiet for a moment. Should I tell the truth? I decided to, taking a deep breath and letting it out. "The memories." I answered. He looked over at me, pain washing over his face as he realized what I meant; I was sure he knew about my mom.

"I'm so sorry, Rachel, you don't have to tell me," He said quickly.

"No, it's okay," I said. I wanted to; I never talked about her to anyone, not even Dad, and I needed to let it out. "She's everywhere," I told him. "All around me in La Push." I said. "And it's so hard to realize, every single second, that when I turn around, she's not going to be there. She's gone." The tears were falling, and he pulled onto the side of the road, taking me in his arms. I pressed my face into his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around my waist. After a minute, I looked up; his face was right next to mine, so very, very, near. Before I could chicken out, I placed a soft kiss on his cheek. I felt a tremor go through his body.

I leaned back, afraid I had gone too far. He seemed reluctant to release me, but maybe I was just humoring myself. "So what's your least favorite thing about La Push?" I asked, still talking quietly. He thought for a moment, before a smirk crossed his face.

"Embry." He answered. We both laughed, but the moment was broken. He put the car back into gear, and after driving a block or two, parked the car. He came around to help me out, and he took my hand after we exited the car. Like last night, his hand felt perfect here, like that was where it belonged. We made our way into the diner, which did have a cute fifties theme. There was a jukebox, booths with a long coffee counter, and the waitresses bobbed around on roller-skates. It was crowded, which I guess was to be expected on a Saturday afternoon. A petite teenager with blonde hair, showed us to a table, checking out Paul as she did so. For some reason this really bothered me, and I resisted the urge to scowl heavily at her. She was probably about fifteen, and Paul _was_ gorgeous.

The diner served huge portions; I could only eat half of my grilled cheese and fries. Paul, however, ate his entire meal, plus the remainder of mine. I have no idea how anyone could eat that much. Over lunch, we continued to talk. I learned that Paul was just nineteen last week, loved sitcoms, and much, much more. I was very interested in what he had to say, but he wanted to know all about me. This wasn't something I was used to, and I found myself wondering why anyone would want to know how old I was when I lost my first tooth. I was putting my money back in my bag (Paul refused to go halfsies, and insisted on paying the entire bill) when I remembered something I had been meaning to ask last night.

"Paul," I began, our hands swinging between us, "I'm not trying to seem nosy, what happened between Sam and Leah? The last time I was home, things were serious between them, and now Sam's engaged to Emily." Last May, when I came home for a visit, we had gone to a party at the Clearwater's. Harry was still okay, Seth hadn't grown three feet, and Sam and Leah couldn't keep their hands off each other. I guess everything had changed since then…

Paul bit his lip. I could already tell it was a delicate subject. "Well, Emily's from the Makah rez. She and Leah were best friends, cousins. Emily came for a visit after Sam had pha- I mean, to visit Leah, and well they, err, met." He was really uncomfortable now.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," I apologized. Couldn't have kept my mouth shut, could I?

"No, no, it's fine," he quickly reassured me. "Then, after the," he paused, "accident, he was there for her, and they became close." I could tell there were a few details he left out, but I definitely wasn't gonna push him. I felt sorry for Leah; we had never been best friends- she was a year older than me, and was always quite popular- but we got along fine and would sometimes hang out together at boring "family parties" when we were younger.

"I mean, he didn't mean to do it," he continued, almost a little defensively. "It just happened." I nodded. Sam was a good guy, and he had definitely loved Leah. And Emily was such a sweet person; she wouldn't do that to her best friend, her own relative, unless she didn't have a choice. Unless she couldn't control it. That kind of love was hard to imagine, but I did believe in it.

We got into the car, and Sam pulled out of the parking lot. "So, is there anything you wanna do?" He asked me. That was another thing: I wasn't used to anyone being so concerned with my feelings, either.

"Nothing in particular," I shrugged. "I guess we could head back to La Push and walk around or something." I hadn't been around much of the rez since I had come home, and I was eager to see what had changed. We drove back, conversing the whole way, and he parked in front of his house. It was cute, small and painted a springy green.

"No one's in now, but my mom is definitely going to want to meet you one of these days," he said, shuddering at the thought.

I frowned a little. "You don't want her to meet me?" I guessed. What, would she not like me or something?

"That's definitely not it," he said, looking worried that he might have offended me. "I don't want you to meet her. She can be scary." He said seriously. I laughed. Now I couldn't wait to meet her. I smiled at his words. So we would still be together 'one of these days'…?

Like earlier, he came around to open the door for me. I got out, and stumbled into him. "Sorry," I said, as he caught me. I looked up to see him staring at me again. We were just inches away, and I had never, ever wanted to do anything as much as I wanted to kiss him right then. I had never felt this attracted to anyone in my entire life, and I was pretty sure I never would ever again. "I really like you Paul," I whispered, looking back into his brown eyes. His eyes lit up at my words, and he wrapped his arms around my waist, leaning in. I closed my eyes…

"Look who it is!" called a loud voice through the trees. My eyes popped open as Paul swiftly stepped back. Are you freaking kidding me? Take one guess. Just one. Embry Call? Never!

Well, guess what? You were right.

He came through the trees, wearing only a pair of denim shorts, flanked by Jared, Seth, Brady, and Collin. They nudged each other when they saw what they had walked in on. I grimaced at them as Paul glared.

"Hi," I said halfheartedly as they converged on us, leaving a distance between our two parties. They were all only wearing shorts. Not that I minded, (okay, I _totally_ didn't have a problem with it), but where had they come from? It was cool out. Sixty degrees. Any normal person would be cold.

"Where did you guys come from?" I asked.

"We were going to Collin's to play Rock Band," said Brady, ignoring my question.

"You guys can come if you want," offered Collin. I looked at Paul, who nodded. It sounded good to me, too. It looked like it was going to rain anyway. We followed them to Collin's, whose house was only five minutes away from Paul's. He let us in the back door, and down to the basement, which was renovated into a family room. There were couches, a table, and a TV. I sat down on the end of the couch, and Paul sat next to me. The guys spread themselves around, and Collin started up the game.

"Where's everyone else?" I asked Jared, who was sitting on the floor by my feet.

"Quil's watching Claire, they're down at the beach," he said.

"Sam is with Emily today, so don't go over there unless you value your sanity," said Seth, a nauseated expression on his face.

"And Kim went to go visit her cousins in Olympia," finished Jared, the longing clearly visible on his face.

Collin started up the game, and we all took turns playing. I played a few songs on the guitar, and then handed it over to Seth, whose performance was followed by Embry's. During Brady's turn, the lights went out, as did the game.

"Must've been a power outage," muttered Collin, before running upstairs to get some matches and candles. I heard the thunder rolling outside. I guess the storm had damaged the power lines. Collin came back down with the candles, and threw around a few flashlights. By the time everything was lit, the basement was fairly bright, the room basking in a dusky glow.

"What do we do now?" grunted Brady, obviously unhappy that he didn't get to finish his song. It was silent for a moment.

"Would You Rather?" suggested Seth.

"That's dumb," whined Embry, but no one could think of anything else. Just as we were about to begin, footsteps tromped through the house, and came down the stairs to where we all were.

"Hey," announced Leah to the room, brushing her wet hair out of her eyes. She looked around the room, her eyes stopping on my face. "Hi Rachel," she said.

"Hey, Leah," I responded. I remembered what Paul had told me earlier, and I felt a wave a pity wash through me. She turned to face Seth.

"Mom wanted me to make sure that you were okay," she said, walking to the stairs, as if to leave.

"How old does she think I am four?" he mumbled, thoroughly embarrassed.

"Hey, Leah, you wanna stay? We're playing Would You Rather?" asked Embry.

She snorted. "No," she said with an impressive amount of contempt, and began to climb the stairs.

"What, are you scared?" He called after her. I rolled my eyes. He was such a kid sometimes. Leah came back down, and, after glaring at him, she walked silently over to the table and took a seat on the edge of a chair.

So the game ensued. The guys mostly asked each other, not wanting to get involved with me or Leah, the questions usually involving female celebrities. After a while Paul got up to go the bathroom, disappearing through a doorway by the stairs. Embry walked slowly over to me and sat on the armrest of the couch. He put his hand on my shoulder, which I immediately flicked off. He grinned at me, raising his eyebrows.

Collin sat down in Paul's spot, and mumbled something over my head. Embry's eyes widened and he started laughing manically. "Five bucks?" he asked. I turned around in time to see Collin nodding, a giant smirk on his lips.

"Embry, would you rather meet Lindsay Lohan or make out with Rachel?" asked Collin in a false, high voice.

I rolled my eyes. Remind me why I hang out with these boys? "That's easy," came Embry's voice behind me. My head turned again to see Embry laughing, inching closer and closer to me. Now Seth was laughing too, as was Brady. They clutched their sides, giggling like girls.

"Do it!" said Collin loudly. Embry slipped his arm around my back, and before I could push him off, three things happened simultaneously: Paul came back into the room, the lights flickered on, and Embry crushed his mouth to mine.

Suddenly, the most amazing phenomenon occurred, taking my breath away; as I slipped away from Embry, Paul's clothes burst at the seams. He transformed before my very eyes into a magnificent, terrifying wolf.

**A/N: Stupid Embry… I still love him, though! What do you think? REVIEW! Next Chapter: Rachel finds out some things (but not about imprinting), and she and Paul have their first (real) kiss. They've been tortured enough!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Love, Gracie**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Heyyy! Thank you everyone for the reviews, alerts, and faves! Seeing them is the best part of writing this story. Every single review makes me smile. You guys have been so sweet, and really encouraging. Thanks for all the support!! I really hope you like this next chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

Chapter 4

Paul growled loudly at Embry, baring his large, ferocious teeth, as pandemonium erupted around me. We were a tangle of bodies as everyone ran to do something: restrain Paul, grab me, or, as in Embry's case, run from Paul. I sat frozen in my spot, my mind not yet able to comprehend. Paul was… not Paul? I couldn't wrap my mind around it.

"Man, what did you do?" yelled Jared as he moved in on Paul, trying in vain to keep Embry away from Paul's teeth. I wasn't sure who he was talking to- Paul or Embry. I felt myself being moved. Brady and Seth had grabbed me by the elbows and were ushering me with impressive speed up the stairs. I glanced back for one last look; Leah and Jared were restraining Paul, who was still roaring deafeningly, as Embry backed against the wall to stand by Collin, looking defensive.

"Damn, shit's outta the bag now," muttered Seth as they half-carried me into the front yard. The storm had basically stopped, the rain reduced to a light drizzle. They whisked me down the road, seeming to have a destination in mind.

"Well, it's not like she wouldn't have found out soon enough," said Brady, sounding reasonable. "She is his imprint." Again with the imprint! I was getting answers, and soon. I wasn't some little kid; they couldn't just push this under the rug, so to speak. We went through the leafy, green forest as my mind wandered. What was the cause of all this?

That's what everyone was hiding from me- Paul, Dad, Jake might even be involved. But was this only about Paul? Or was it something more, something affecting the whole tribe? I tended to think the latter. Brady pushed aside a few shrubs, and we came into a clearing, where a little house sat. It was a picturesque cottage that looked like something you might find in Snow White. We approached the front door and knocked. After a moment someone came to the door.

Emily opened the door, her face peeking around the edge. She saw the boys, with me slung over Seth's shoulder, and her look of annoyance became one of concern. "Come in, come in," she said, waving them past her. They carried me into a tiny, pretty living room and set me in an armchair. The boys started talking at once.

"Paul phased," began Seth.

"In front of her," said Brady jerking his head toward me.

"Embry-"

"Kissed her"

"Was gonna KILL him-," Emily held up her hands, demanding immediate silence. She pointed at Seth, who then began to tell the story. He was almost done, when Sam trundled into the room, wearing only a pair of gym shorts.

"Em," he called out, stopping short when he saw the two boys. He looked pissed. "I told you guys not to come today; Emily can't feed you all the time. It's my day off!" My brain caught up to my body, and I felt embarrassed, realizing that we just might have interrupted something. Emily herself was only wearing a very small pair of shorts and a camisole. Emily inclined her head, and Sam looked at me, frozen to the armchair. Like Emily, he quickly became worried.

"What did you do?" He asked, gently moving them all into the hallway to keep the conversation private, in other words, from me. I heard bits and pieces and at one point Sam yelled, "He did WHAT?" followed by, "I am going to KILL Embry!". I cringed. The conversation was getting louder.

"Well, I'm pretty sure Paul already took care of that for ya," said Brady.

"Sam, they can't keep doing this to him," came Emily's serious tone. "They all think it's funny because he's always been a smartass, but he's going to crack soon and someone _will_ get hurt."

"I know. I'm heading over there now. Hopefully Collin's house is still standing. My day off…" he muttered. "Emily, do you think you could talk to her? You know, fill her in before they all run over here?"

"Sure. Should I tell her about the…" she trailed off.

"No, not yet. Keep things general. I'll run by Billy's on the way home to let him know what happened." I heard the front door open and they went out into the rain. Emily's quiet footsteps shuffled through the house. She came into the room, now dressed in sweatpants and a tee shirt.

"Hey, Rachel," she said, quietly taking a seat next to me on the couch." I'm sorry you had to see things like that, but don't be scared; Paul would never hurt you." I started, and looked at her.

"I'm not afraid of him," I said. Emily looked taken aback.

"But, he phased in front of you, right? He was going to attack Embry?" She said, as though clarifying what I had seen.

"Yeah, but I'm not scared of him." It was true. Was I shocked? Beyond belief. Terrified that I was going to be devoured? Not at all. "I'm mean, it's a lot to wrap my mind around," I said, getting up out of the chair. "But, I'm not afraid. I'm relieved. Now I know what everyone's been hiding from me." I turned around to face Emily. "Why didn't anyone tell me sooner?"

Emily definitely looked shocked now. Then she started to laugh. "Well, you took it better than I did. When I first saw Sam phase, I tried to run away." She laughed.

"So Paul's not the only one?" I asked. She shook her head.

"No, all of the boys are werewolves, as well as Leah." That really surprised me.

"Leah?" I asked incredulously.

"Yep." She said. "Jake, too." I sat down again, my head spinning. How was this even possible? I had never heard of anything like this before… oh, wait. I had. A deluge of memories flooded in, memories of my father telling the legends of our tribe, of Taha Aki and the men that could become wolves in order to protect the tribe.

"The legends are true?" I demanded.

"All of them." She said. Wolf men, Cold Ones…

"The 'Cold Ones'?" I asked skeptically. Could they really be out there?

"Yes, there are vampires." Said Emily, hesitating, "There are some nearby now. That's what triggered all of the transformations. The pack has a… cordial relationship with them. They do not drink the blood of humans." I shivered at the thought of blood-drinking vampires so close to my home. I did have to laugh at the thought of a friendly vampire, though…

There was a sharp knock at the door and my father rolled himself into the room. His face was somber. "So you know, Rach?" he asked. I nodded, and he sighed. "I was trying to protect you, to keep you away from all this- it's a dangerous life. And then that idiot goes and phases in front of my daughter…" His voice became a growl.

"Are you a werewolf, too, Dad?" I asked. He laughed, but I thought it was a fair enough question.

"No, I'm not." He said, and I thought I heard the tiniest twinge of regret in his voice. "There weren't vampires around when I was younger, so the gene was not triggered."

"So what's the real reason Jake ran away?" I asked.

"That is the real reason." He said. "Except…I left out the part that Bella was marrying a vampire." I gasped. As much as I resented her for putting Jake in pain, I was worried for her; did she know what she was getting herself into? I heard the backdoor open, and the sound of many voices. I needed to go talk to Paul, and Embry. My eyes narrowed. That boy was most definitely in trouble.

"And one more thing," I said to them, looking between Emily and my Dad. "What's an imprint?" They looked at each other, and then back at me. "Do not even try and pretend that it's not real, Dad," I said as he opened his mouth, presumably to spout some ridiculous lie. His lips closed.

"You will know, Rachel," said Emily. "Soon. But now is not the time." I stuttered furiously, but I could tell arguing would get me nowhere. I pressed my lips together. These people were so… ugh! I couldn't even think of the right word to describe it. My dad still looked upset.

"It's good that I know, Dad," I told him, patting him on the back. "Don't be upset. It's part of who we are." He smiled up at me.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. You would have figured it out anyway. You always did have a knack for figuring out secrets." I grinned back at him. That was definitely true. I went into the kitchen where Jared, Seth, Brady, and Collin were digging through the cabinets.

"Sam is waiting for you outside," said Seth, stuffing a cookie into his mouth. I nodded at him and headed out the back door. Sam was talking to Paul, both of them looking very serious . I caught sight of Embry, who was skulking around the side of the house.

"Embry!" I called out. He kept walking. "Get back here, you!" I followed him to the edge of the forest. I finally caught up with him, and he turned around, a sheepish half smile on his face.

"Hey," he said. "Look, Rach, sorry for kissing you."

"You should be!" I told him hotly. "I like Paul!"

"Yeah, I know. I was outta line; I was just trying to have a laugh. I won't tease you anymore." I took a step forward, and he backed up a few paces. I frowned.

"I'm not gonna hit you, you know." I said, trying to move closer as he continued to step back.

"Yeah, I know." He grinned. "But I can't get any closer to you. Sam ordered me to stay five feet away from you." He laughed. I laughed too, even though the idea of having to absolutely obey someone else seemed a little absurd to me.

"So you have to do whatever Sam tells you to?" I asked. This whole wolf pack thing was pretty interesting.

"Yeah, basically, if he makes it an order. He's the alpha."Embry craned his neck, inhaling deeply through his nose, and I turned around, but he seemed to pick up on something that I couldn't. "Paul wants to talk to you." He said. "I'll see you soon, Rach. Please don't stay that angry at me." He actually looked a little remorseful.

I shook my head at him, and rolled my eyes. "Just behave, okay? I love you, you big idiot. Just not in that way."

He laughed. "Yeah, I know. See you around, Rach." I noticed he gave me a wide berth as he disappeared back through the trees, probably to eat the remaining food in Emily's kitchen, if there even was any. I stood there alone for a minute, not sure what to do. Embry said Paul wanted to talk to me. I began to think of the vampires, and a shiver ran through me.

"Hey," came his voice from behind me. I whirled around, and there was Paul. Oh…my. Paul was standing there, a few yards away from me. And he was shirtless. His body was even more beautiful than I could have imagined. He had broad, strong shoulders, and muscled biceps, his skin a rich cinnamon hue. His chest was perfectly sculpted; his six pack clearly visible even from where I stood over here. A flat stomach led to tapered hips, where his black shorts hung precariously. My mouth was most definitely hanging open, and the sad thing was, I didn't even care. All I could do was ogle. He followed my stare, a smirk crossing his face. "Not, bad, huh?" He said, flexing his muscles.

My face flushed. He laughed softly for a moment, before turning serious. "Rachel, I am so sorry you had to see that." He said, looking extremely upset. "That's not the way you should have found out. Now you know the way we are. I have a horrible temper, and it flares up sometimes, but I'm getting better at controlling it. I've ruined everything, but I'd never, ever hurt you Rachel." His face so acutely reflected the pain he was in that I involuntarily took a step closer, eager to comfort him.

He walked slowly towards me, almost if he was afraid to startle me. I didn't want any space between us, and hurried to close the gap. "Why did you phase?" I asked him, once I was close enough to touch him. He looked down at me, and covered his eyes with his hand.

"I was angry," he began. "I walk in, and Embry's all over you, kissing you. You have no idea how much," he stopped, and shuddered. I wrapped my arms around him, and he slowly started to relax. I felt his arms traveled slowly around my waist.

"You were jealous?" I asked. That was flattering. I'd never thought any guy would become jealous over me. He nodded.

"You know, I don't think of Embry like that. He doesn't think of me that way either." I told him.

"You'd be surprised…" he muttered.

"Huh?" I said.

Ignoring his previous statement, "You just said you love him," he pointed out miserably.

"Yeah, and I do. He's like a little brother to me. He practically lived at my house when we were younger. My parents used to get him Christmas presents from 'Santa'." I said. He laughed. My parents had always doted on him because, as much as his mom loved him, she had to work a lot.

I stood on my tiptoes and whispered in his ear, "You have nothing to worry about, Paul." I put my hands on either side of his face and placed one gentle kiss very lightly on his lips.

I could have never predicted his response. His arms tightened around my waist, pressing my torso to his. His mouth was like fire on mine, and utterly unstoppable. I snaked my arms around his neck, pulling myself up to reach him. I wrapped my legs around his hips, and he pressed me against a tree, my back pushed up against the bark. I had never kissed anyone like this before; it was unbelievable. After several long moments, we pulled apart, gasping for breath. He pressed his forehead against mine.

"I've wanted to do that since the first time I saw you," he said, breathing heavily.

I smiled. "You could do it again, you know," I said, cocking an eyebrow.

And he did.

**A/N: So what do you think? I'm not sure…but, I really wanna hear feedback! Like it or not, please REVIEW! **

**Next chapter: Not exactly sure what I have planned, but I think Jake will be coming home… yay! **_**So I need your advice:**___**should Rachel know about the imprint before or after Jake gets home? It's your decision! I was thinking after, but you tell me. Either put it in a review or PM me. **

**Love, Gracie **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: ****INFINITE Thank yous to Twilightaholic1122, Miss. Ebbie Page, AMCovenant-March, SweetlyBroken33, chantelleeenator, psychodancechick89, ChloeHeartless x, and GreyGooseLover for your wonderful ideas.****You guys really helped me out for this part of the story. You all made great suggestions, and they are all a part of this chapter. It was so hard to pick, so I did try to include a little bit of everyone's****. **

_**Extra special thanks to Miss. Ebbie Page, because she gave me the great suggestions for the setting, a good part of the plot, and the ending to this chapter.**_

**So it was voted that Rachel would find out about the imprint after Jake, but very soon after, so that's how I wrote it. Hope you guys like it. Thanks again for all of your encouragement, ideas, alerts, faves, and reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. **

Chapter 5

I was upstairs, fixing my hair, when I heard the doorbell ring. "I'll get it!" I yelled down, finishing up and grabbing my bag. I presumed it was Paul. It was one week after I had learned all about the werewolves, and everyone was going over to Sam's to hang out tonight. I ran down the stairs, and threw open the door.

"Hey, "I said, grinning at the sight of him. " Just give me two minutes, and I'll be ready to go." I turned around, and felt his arms snake around my waist.

"Wait a sec," he whispered, his lips pressed against my ear. "Where's my hello?" I twisted in his arms, and leaned up to kiss him on the lips. He pressed closer to me, and slipped his fingers into my hair. I sighed contentedly, giving into the kiss. It was so easy to get distracted with Paul. Wasn't I supposed to be doing something…?

"Hem, hem."Came an annoyed sound from behind me. I jumped away, my face surely turning magenta. Oh, that's right. I was supposed to be helping Dad pick out his clothes. He was going to Bella Swan's wedding this evening, along with Sue and Seth. They were supposed to be picking him up in half an hour.

"Hello, Paul," said Dad grudgingly. Dad liked Paul well enough- as long as he wasn't touching me.

"Hi, Mr. Black," he answered politely. I walked over to Dad, who was sitting there holding an assortment of dress clothes.

"Okay, Dad," I said, eyeing his options. He was holding khakis and a few polo shirts. "Well, I think I'm gonna see what else you have. I don't think those are the best clothes to be wearing to a wedding." He huffed loudly.

"Charlie said it was a small wedding," he argued. I shook my head.

"It's still a wedding." I seriously hoped for Bella's sake that she was monitoring what her dad was going to wear. If Charlie was anything like Dad when it came to clothes, he'd show up to his own daughter's wedding with attire more suitable for a golf outing!

I went into his closet and pulled out his one and only suit. After pressing it and finding a dress shirt, I laid the clothes out on his bed. "Here, Dad," I said, gesturing to the clothes. He didn't look happy with it, but he would thank me later.

"Thank you, Rachel," he said, much like a little kid being forced to. I just laughed.

"See you tonight, Dad." I told him, before heading out the door with Paul. "Sorry for the holdup," I said as we climbed into his truck. "I couldn't let him go to a wedding like that." He smiled.

"I don't mind," he said, as the engine sprang to life. "It's nice that you help your dad out." I smiled at him. Just within the past week, we had become really close. If things kept up, I was starting to think of relocating to La Push permanently.

"So you know what you have to tell me," I said playfully as we headed down the road. I had learned all about werewolves- the aging thing (which freaked me out at first, but then I learned that they will eventually), the temperature, the fact that they heal quickly; I even learned that could read each other's thoughts while in wolf form. The only thing I had left to learn about was imprinting. No one would give me an answer, not even Paul; they just said I would learn soon enough. I was becoming increasingly persistent (perhaps even annoying), but I felt I had a right to know. If it wasn't important, than why wouldn't anyone tell me?

"What?"He asked, feigning ignorance. I gave him a look, and he sighed. He thought for a moment, and I was sure, for one second, that he was going to tell me. Then he said, "I promise you will find out what imprinting is by the end of the week." I raised my eyebrows.

"I'm gonna hold you to that," I told him. He let out a long breath.

"Rach, it's not that I don't want you to know; but I don't want you to think that you have to-"

"That I have to what?" I asked eagerly. "So it has something to do with me?"

"I didn't say that," he said, but I knew I was right, which just made me want to know even more. We pulled up to Sam's house and I asked him another question.

"So have you picked up on anything about Jake?" I asked him as we climbed out of the car.

"Well, the last time I phased was yesterday morning for patrol. Like I said, he tries to block us out, but we can hear him. He seemed restless, but I didn't sense that he would be coming home." I nodded gloomily. He came around to hug me, and I pressed my face into his chest, trying to hold back tears. The truth was, I missed Jake. Even when I was away at college, I called home once or twice a week and was able to talk to him, just like I did with Rebecca.

"Just wait till he gets home," I threatened. Paul patted me on the back.

"I'll take care of him," he said menacingly, a low growl in his voice. I heard quiet footsteps, and then cool fingers tugging on my arm.

"So sorry to interrupt," trilled Emily in a teasing voice, "but Rachel, I need your help." I let myself be pulled away, Paul watching forlornly.

"Thank you for interrupting, dearest," I said sarcastically to her. She grinned. She and I had hung out with Kim quite a few times this past week, and we were having more and more fun with each visit.

"Just returning the favor, doll," she said, looking back at Paul, who was standing there like a lost little kid. "Go to the backyard, they're doing 'Pack Things'," she yelled to him.

His face brightened considerably. "'Pack Things' is codeword for fooling around, wrestling, and generally acting like morons," she whispered under her breath to me. I laughed. We made our way into her kitchen which was, for the first time, empty.

"Now where did Kim go?" muttered Emily. She stormed out the back door, and I followed. True to her word, the boys were all there, watching a wrestling match between Embry and Jared. Kim was there, watching from the sidelines.

"Go Jared!" She shrieked, hopping up and down. Jared let Embry slip out of a headlock as he gave Kim an admiring look, paired with a dazed grin. She had gotten back from Olympia two days ago and he was even more distracted by her than usual. He paid for it, though, because Embry took that golden opportunity to punch him in the gut.

"Kim, let's go! We've got stuff to do!" Shouted Emily. Kim loped over to us, and we went inside.

"Sorry, I got distracted," she said apologetically. Emily and I laughed at the look on her face.

"Okay, so we've got a big job ahead of us," said Emily, pulling out pots and pans. Kim went over to the sink to wash her hands.

"What exactly are we doing?" I asked. Kim laughed.

"Oh yeah, I forgot you've never done this before. We're making dinner. For the whole pack," answered Kim.

"Except for Seth and Leah," added Emily. "She had other plans, and he's at the wedding." She sounded as though she didn't like that very much. I started to worry then, too. Dad was there. He assured me that it was fine, but was it really? I wasn't sure if these vampires were safe. I shook the unnerving thought out of my head, moving on to the task at hand.

I breathed deeply, and braced myself. I'd seen the way a few wolves could eat. But the entire pack? This was definitely going to be a big job. I rolled up my leaves and got to work.

*********************************

The three of us sat slumped in chairs, exhausted. It had been three hours since we had started cooking, and it was now seven o' clock. We had made ten trays of lasagna, along with salad and Italian bread, and there was not a speck of food left. I considered it fortunate that the guys paused long enough to allow us, the cooks, to take some food. Our wolves were now congregated in the living room, doing who knows what, as we sat amongst the dirty dishes. Sam came into the room, followed by Quil, making us jump out of our stupor.

"Quil and I are going to run patrol," said Sam. "We'll be back in a few hours." He leaned down to kiss Emily, and the two of them took off out the back door. Within five minutes, they were back, looking very excited indeed. "Pack meeting!" Yelled Sam. "Everyone, outside!" The guys tromped quickly into the backyard.

I exchanged confused looks with Kim and Emily. All three of us were on our feet in seconds, and heading out the door. By that time though, most of them were already heading back in, whooping loudly. Curse them and their werewolf speediness. "What's going on?" said Kim, grabbing Collin by the arm. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Kim was one of the sweetest, most gentle people in the world, but do not get on her bad side. I guess Collin was aware of that.

"Nothing," he said, looking at the ground. "Sam and Quil went back out to patrol." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Sam said not to say anything 'until further notice, in case something changed'." He slipped out of Kim's grasp and hurried into the living room.

Emily's eyes lit up. "I have an idea!" She said. Poking her head into the living room, "Embry? Could you come here, please?" A moment later, he appeared in the kitchen, looking curious. I didn't know what could be done. They had to follow Sam's orders, didn't they? The girls were miles ahead of me, though. Apparently I still had a few things to learn. Kim had grabbed a few kitchen utensils, and after throwing me and Emily spatulas, we converged on him.

"Okay, Embry," said Emily in a sweet voice. "Tell us what Sam told you, and no one gets hurt." He gulped; we had him trapped in a corner. As stupid as that boy could act sometimes, he was most definitely not dumb; he knew not to mess with a girl holding a spatula.

"Okay, okay," he said, holding up his hands. "Let me find a way around this." He thought for a moment. "Sam said not to tell you, but I guess I could write it down." Kim threw him a Post-it and a Sharpie. He scrawled something, and then darted out of the room. Emily laughed loudly.

"Works every time," she said. Kim had grabbed the note and was reading it excitedly.

"Jake's coming home!" She squealed. We hugged each other tightly. I couldn't believe it; after all of these days, I would finally be able to sleep soundly.

"I have to tell Dad!" I said, heading towards the front door. This time Paul and Jared stood in my way. They had appeared in the kitchen, most likely to make sure Embry wasn't doing anything with their girls. I rolled my eyes. They could be a _little_ overprotective sometimes.

"Billy knows," said Jared. "Besides, Sam said that you girls had to stay here, and he'll meet us back here with Jake later." He cast Kim a sly look, and she giggled. I smirked. Yeah, I bet he was glad to be locked in a house with her. I was about to laugh, until I saw Paul giving me the same look. I grinned back. This _could_ be fun… Emily rolled her eyes at us.

"Go ahead, have fun," she said.

"But the dishes…" I said. Paul was already trying to pull me out of the room.

"I only have to put them in the dishwasher," she said. I smiled gratefully, and let Paul drag me outside. He lifted me off the ground, and I reached up around his shoulders as he scattered light kisses along my neck and jaw. I wanted to enjoy this, but I could tell something was wrong.

"Paul, what's the matter?" I asked, taking his face between my hands. He buried his face in my hair.

"I just don't want Jake to be upset when he sees us together," he said.

"Hey," I reminded him. "Jake's the one in trouble, not us." He didn't seem convinced. The sound of loud voices came from the house, traveling out to where we were in the garden. I jumped down, and pulled him by the hand towards the house. "Come on I think Jake's home," I said gleefully as Paul followed reluctantly behind me.

We went through the kitchen, and I stood in the doorway, watching everyone surround him. He hadn't yet caught sight of me, and I thought the pack deserved to greet him first. They had been a better family to him than I had been for the past two years. It was so hard to believe that this gigantic man was my little brother Jake. He had grown so much; he had to be close to seven feet. His muscles were defined, but the biggest change in him was also the worst.

There was a hollow look in his eyes. Sure, he had a smile plastered on his face, and I was sure it was genuine. He was back with his family after all. But the brightness that had always radiated from him was reduced to a dull glow. He was in pain, more than he was showing, and all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around him and tell him it would be alright.

"Jacob Black!" I threw myself at him, crashing into him so hard that I hurt myself (I'm sure he didn't feel a thing). He wrapped me in a tight hug.

"Hi, Rach," he grinned. "When did you get so short?" Before I could answer, his jaw went slack. His arms tightened around me, and I couldn't breathe. I followed his line of vision, to see him staring at Paul, who was staring at me. That didn't mean anything to me; Paul did it all the time. Apparently, it meant something to Jake, though.

"What," he asked in a deadly whisper- on "did" I saw Embry nudge Quil- "you" ( I could hear the clock ticking it was so quiet)- "DO?!". I gasped; my lungs felt close to collapsing, that's how tight he as holding me. Suddenly, I was wrenched from Jake's arms, and Paul was standing in front of me, crouched defensively.

Jake lunged, but the others were faster; Sam grabbed his arm, and Embry was immediately on his other side. "Get away from my sister," hissed Jake, snarling as he tried to get away from the others' grips.

"You were hurting her," said Paul. He was trying to control his voice, but there was an edge to it, and his arms were shaking.

"I've been _praying_ for you to imprint since the day I knew we could; I thought maybe it would make you a _little _less of an ass. I leave for six weeks, and come back to find out that YOU'VE IMPRINTED ON MY SISTER!" Jake roared. I'd never seen him lose control like this, and it scared me.

Sam and Embry pulled Jake out of the house, and Paul followed. Brady tried to grab me, but I shook off his grip and ran after them.

"Jake!" I yelled over his stream of profanities. "We're just going out…"

He looked over at me and laughed manically, in a way that did not hint at any humor. Jacob looked over at Paul. "Just going out? You didn't tell her? She doesn't know that she's linked to you forever? Hell, does she even know about the wolves?"

"Yes, she knows about us," said Sam gruffly. "She was going to find out about the imprint soon." Jake stormed off into the woods, swearing loudly. I stood stock still. Obviously imprinting was a much bigger deal than everyone had made it out to be. Linked forever? What were they talking about? Anger coursed through me, taking over my body. Who did they think I was a puppet they could manipulate?

Paul came over to me. "Rachel," he said, running his hands down my arms. "Rachel are you alright?" I didn't react. Everyone had come into the yard now, and I was breathing, quickly and deeply, to keep from exploding.

"Tell me Paul," I said. "Tell me now." No one moved a muscle, not even Paul. "Will you talk to me, dammit?" I yelled. He flinched as though I had slapped him across the face.

"Rachel, I can't," he pleaded.

"Agh!!" I shrieked, storming away from him. He grabbed my arm, and I turned around to slap his hand. I knew it couldn't have hurt him, but I saw tears well up in his eyes. I couldn't take it anymore. I began to run as thunder rolled overhead. As soon as my feet hit the path, the skies opened and it began to pour.

**A/N: Aww, poor Paul. So what did you think? Please, please review. I LOVE to hear feedback, as well as suggestions. Why not give both? Thank you sooooo much for reading, and for your support.**

**Love, Gracie**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey…thanks for all of the reviews, alerts, and faves, everyone. You guys have been so great!! Each one is important to me. So, I know everyone hates Rachel right now, but don't worry guys- Paul will be fine: D. So I wasn't exactly sure what to do with this chapter, but I got some **_**great **_**suggestions from SweetlyBroken33 and Em, so huge thanks to them!! This chapter is a teeny bit shorter, but I promise a long one for tomorrow!**

I ran into the forest, the wind brushing lightly against my body as lightning lit up the sky. I had always loved thunderstorms- as a little girl, my parents used to have to hold me back from running straight into the rain.I pushed brush and bramble out of my way as I headed up the ribbon-thin trail. I didn't have a plan as to where I was going. Quite a few times I looked back to make sure no one was following me, and I was glad when I saw that no one was. I needed time to think. My thoughts swirled tumultuously, similar to the storm raging around me.

I wasn't heading home. Not tonight. I couldn't think of one person I wasn't angry at. Well except for Becca, but she didn't count; she was in Hawaii. I was glad Jake wanted to tell me about the whole imprinting business, but I was still angry at him, for blowing up and for running away. My thoughts strayed to my twin, and I finally knew where to go. There was a cave in this forest, perhaps half a mile up the mountain, which we used to play in when we were little and wanted to get away from Jake. "The Girls' Club", we used to call it, thinking we had an important secret. I could sit there for a few hours and sift through my thoughts.

I marched up the hill, my mind consumed with what had just happened. So this imprinting… it meant being linked to another person for the rest of your life. That you had to be with them? I put my head down to try and keep my face out of the rain, but it didn't do much good. I was soaked straight through to the skin.

I didn't even mind that part all that much. These last few days with Paul had been amazing. I had never experienced anything like it before. I had been thinking about changing my whole future for him. I truly loved him. That was easy enough to admit to myself. I valued the truth more than anything. That's why all of these lies had hurt so much.

What did everyone expect me to do? This was my life, not theirs. I had a right to know, and everyone had kept it from me. _Everyone_. I had a million different emotions going through me right now. I was sad and hurt because they hadn't trusted me enough to tell me. But I was angry with myself, and embarrassed, that I had gone right along with it. I didn't try hard enough because I was so bedazzled by Paul. Paul… the very thought of him hurt me. I had never felt anything like this for another person, and he was just stringing me along, going along with what I was feeling because of some stupid magical bond.

I always knew a guy like him couldn't really fall for me.

That thought hurt me more than anything, and I began to cry, horrible sobs that only I could hear. I was too… _too Rachel_ for a guy like that. Just some geeky girl who falls head over heels for a guy that doesn't truly feel anything back. I felt a force, somewhere deep inside me, trying to pull me back down the mountain, telling me I was safer there. I chose not to listen to it. I had had enough of these Quileute powers. Tomorrow, I could pack my things and head somewhere else. Then Paul would be free to go out with anyone he wanted.

I could vaguely make out the shape of the cave in the distance, and I was glad to see it. I didn't see any more lightning, but it was starting to rain even harder. I made my way to the edge of the cave, and looked eagerly for the familiar opening where I would gain entry. It was gone. A boulder stood in its place, guarding the entrance. This was too much for me. I slumped against the rock and let my head fall back against it. I saw stars, and hoped absentmindedly that it would be enough to knock me unconscious. It wasn't. Now, on top of everything else, I had a killer headache.

I sat up angrily. Fine, then. I would just keep walking until the sun came up. I got up off the ground and kept walking. I headed up the path for another mile, getter colder and wetter with each passing second. All of a sudden, out of the trees, a dark shadow appeared, making me scream. My blood slowed marginally when I realized it was someone I knew. Very well, actually. I breathed in slowly, and then exhaled.

"Please get out of my way," I said through clenched teeth. I tried to move around him, but he stepped in my way.

"I'm sorry Rachel, I know you don't want to see me." I could see that he had been crying, and I almost felt a little sorry for him. Almost. "You can't go up there though, that's vampire territory."

"Well, maybe if you're lucky they'll finish me off and you won't have to deal with me," I hissed. He looked horrified.

"Rachel, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you, but,"

"But what, Paul?" I asked, wringing my hands. "I liked you a lot Paul! After just one week with you, I was starting to plan my life around you. Around us! I meant everything I said, Paul! And then I find out that you're only hanging around with me because some insane Quileute magic has us joined at the hip! And you didn't even trust me enough to tell me!" I let out a breath and closed my eyes, lowering my voice.

"You lied. You said it wasn't important. You probably had your eye on some girl at the beach before Rachel Black, the nerd, walked into your life and ruined everything for you. So I'm sorry Paul. Sorry I screwed up your plans. You don't need to do me any more favors. I'll only stay a little while longer, and go. You can have your life back, alright?" I felt I had done the right thing, no matter how much it was hurting me. I had just let him off the hook. But when I opened my eyes, instead of looking relieved as I had expected, he looked like I had broken his heart in two.

"Rachel," he began, his voice trembling, "how can you even say that?" I bit my lip, moving closer to him.

"When I met you, it was the best moment of my life. You were the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. All I wanted to do was love you and make you as happy as you made me. I would have walked across the universe right then and there if that was what you told me to do." I shook my head sadly. I couldn't even tell him how much I had wanted him to tell me this. A few hours ago. Now I knew it wasn't really him.

"Paul," I said sadly, "it's because of the imprint." He held up his hand.

"But you still don't really know what an imprint is." He said. He moved closer, and slipped one hand around mine. The warmth was heaven in this icy rain. "Imprinting is what happens when a wolf meets their soul mate. Like I said, the imprint becomes the most important thing. Imprinting is not a curse that makes you love someone. It's a gift that shows you who the best person to spend your life with would be."

He slipped another hand around my wrist, and I didn't pull away. "Rachel, the reason I didn't tell you is because I didn't want to you think you had to love me, that your life was limited to that. I didn't want you to think you had to." He brushed the wet strands of hair out of my face.

"I'm never happier to be with someone than when I am with you. And this past week with you has only reaffirmed the belief that imprinting is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'll never regret it, because with or without the imprint, you are the most beautiful, the smartest, sweetest, most perfect person in the world, Rachel Black. I'll thank my lucky stars every day for the rest of my life if you only ever feel a fraction of the love I feel for you."

The tears were streaming down my face now. Never would I have thought I would hear those words come from anyone's mouth, much less Paul's. His speech was so perfect, so right, I could have taken it straight out of one of my dreams. Without further ado, I threw myself into his arms and kissed him with more feeling than I could have thought possible, the rain falling around us. I could feel his smile against my lips as I whispered the only thing I could say, "I love you, Paul".

A/N: And the Oscar goes to… Paul!! (Except it was even better, because he wasn't acting). Sigh, sometimes don't you wish you had your own Paul? Anyway, how was it? Good, or corny? Did you like it or what? Pretty pleeeeeeeeeease let me know, okay? I love, love, love your reviews!

Next chapter: Time to meet the parents! Rachel meets Paul's mom! I can't wait to write _that_! Check in tomorrow!

Love, Gracie


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Heyyy!! Thank you sooooo much everyone! Your reviews, alerts, and faves keep me smiling all day! I can't even tell you how much they mean to me. So guys, in this chapter Rachel goes with Paul to meet his mom… this isn't really dramatic, just something I'd thought I put in. Hope you enjoy Paul's mom as much as I do : P.**

I rolled over and looked at the clock. Upon seeing the time, I jumped out of bed. It was after one in the afternoon! I popped up and stretched. My eyes automatically scanned the room, and I almost fell over at what I saw. Paul was sitting in the chair at my desk, watching me closely.

"Paul, don't scare me like that," I said, smiling nevertheless. I walked over to him and sat in his lap. He nuzzled his face into my neck, kissing along my jaw.

"Good afternoon," he joked. "You slept late." I turned in his arms so that I could face him.

"Late night," I smiled. I had arrived home around three o'clock in the morning soaked and exhausted, but extremely happy. Dad had been in bed, blissfully unaware of the night's events, and Jake had been passed out in his room- I guess his six week escapade had taken a lot out of him. I thought of Jake and Dad, of the explaining I would have to do, and began to wriggle away from Paul. He held me tighter.

"Sorry, I have to go, even though I don't want to. I've got a lot of explaining to do." He didn't let me go, but began to kiss the back of my neck.

"I already did." He said.

"You did?" I asked.

"Mmhmm." He said into my hair.

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much." He turned so that I could see his face.

"I would do anything for you Rachel," he said seriously. I smiled at him, tears coming into my eyes. It was hard to believe that Paul was really mine, that we were meant to be together.

"So what did my dad say?" I asked. He had known about the imprint, but I was wondering what he thought of my reaction.

"Well, he wasn't too happy with me for letting you storm off into the rain," he said, grinning. "But, he said he was happy that you knew, and that he knew I would be good to you." He stopped, a thoughtful look coming over his face. "He also said he would push me off the cliffs with his wheelchair if I made you upset, but I don't think that's an issue, because all I want is for you to be happy." I laughed. I knew that that was _not_ an empty threat. Something popped into my head.

"Wait, did my dad actually let you come up here?" I asked incredulously. Dad didn't let boys come up to our room when we had to work on group projects as kids. I doubted he would let my boyfriend come into my room now, even if I was legally an adult.

"Uhh, no…" he said, looking sheepish. " I came in through the window." I was impressed. That window was twenty feet above the ground. How did he…?

"Willow tree?" I asked, old memories coming back. Becca would sometimes climb down the tree when she was grounded and had a date. Nothing ever stopped that girl.

"Yeah. I just wanted to check on you." He answered.

"Well, I'm very glad that you did," I told him, kissing him gently. His arms tightened around my hips, and I pressed my body against his. Suddenly, my phone rang, and I pulled away, reaching blindly behind him to try and reach it.

"Let it go," he groaned, trying to pull me back to him. I smiled, but kept reaching behind him. It might be important. I found the phone, and flipped it open, resting against Paul's chest.

"Hello?" I said.

"Rachel!" squealed an oh so familiar voice. "I have missed you so much! Why haven't you called me? I've been texting you nonstop for like three days. So how's Dad? And Jake? What about Embry, Quil? Tell me everything!" Paul had stopped kissing me when he heard her mention Embry. That was still a sore subject.

I laughed the sound of my twin's rambling voice, but sadness laced my thoughts as well. Sometimes her voice sounded just like Mom's. Like today, for instance. "Hey, Becca," I said. "I miss you too." We chatted for a few minutes as Paul kissed my face, my hair, my neck. Becca paused in the middle of a particularly long story about Leo's (her husband) surfing competitions.

"Rach," she said slowly, "Is someone there with you?" Paul stopped kissing me.

"Uh…no?" I said.

"Puh-lease do not insult my intelligence," she said matter-of-factly. "Just tell me who he is." She demanded, which is how she found out about Paul. She wanted a full account of what he looked like (I tried to describe his gorgeousness without blushing), and how I felt about him. I was scarlet by the end of the conversation, and Paul was grinning widely, happy with what I had told her.

"So I'm gorgeous, huh?" he asked me after I had hung up with her. I looked down at his hands, which were folded around my stomach.

"Yeah, pretty much," I told him. He leaned in to kiss me.

"Well, you Rachel are stunning. You leave me breathless every time I look at you." I blushed, looking away from him. I knew he really felt that way, but it never failed to amaze (and embarrass) me.

"So I was wondering if you wanted to go out tonight?" He asked, his fingers twisting into my hair.

"I would love to," I told him. He smiled brilliantly.

"Great," he said, gently sliding out from under me and kissing me good-bye. "I have to go patrol, but I'll pick you up around six." I nodded, and he slipped silently out my window. That was good. I would be able to spend the afternoon with Dad, and if he obliged, Jake. I went downstairs and plopped down next to Dad, who was glancing slyly at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Hi Rach," he said nervously. I laughed to myself.

"Dad, I'm not mad at you," I told him. He immediately looked relieved. I continued. "I just wish you would have told me sooner." He nodded.

"I understand that. But Rachel, I didn't want it to get in the way of your dreams. You went to college so you could make something of yourself. I didn't want imprinting to stop you." I thought about that for a moment. I had never thought of it that way. Paul had just become a part of that dream.

"Thank you for caring about that, Dad. I am still going to follow my dreams. I was thinking. Once September gets here, of trying to find a job at a magazine in Port Angeles or something. Or, I could always work from home; I would just have to set up an office and everything. I might decide to get my own place…" I trailed off, thinking. I had majored in journalism because I had always loved to write. It was something I was good at, the one thing I was better at than Rebecca when we were kids.

I looked over at Dad, who was frozen in place. "You're going to relocate permanently?" He asked, looking flabbergasted.

"Of course. I have Paul here, and you and Jake. I forgot how much I loved being here with you, and well… having Paul has changed things." I said. Dad surprised me by pulling me into a tight hug that could rival that of the Quileute boys.

"I'm so happy to hear that, Rach,"he said, his voice tight with emotion. "So happy." He looked in the direction of the stairs, and whispered, "It will be good for Jake too, you know." He looked very uneasy.

"So how was the wedding?" I inquired.

"Oh, it was nice. It really upset Jake though," said Dad sympathetically. I felt horrible for him. Paul had told me how Jake had gone to her wedding to support her, and came back horrified. Apparently it was very dangerous for vampires to have sex with humans, and Bella had implied to him that she would soon be doing just that. I cringed outwardly for him. Did that girl care about him at all? She knows he loves her with all of his heart, and then she has to go and tell him that? What was her problem?

Dad and I sat there for a while, watching TV. He was in a good mood due to the fact that I would be staying permanently. Jake tromped out of his room around three o'clock, grunted hello, and moodily stared at the floor for the next few hours. I made them pizza for lunch, and just as I was cleaning up, the telephone rang.

"Hello?" I was curious as to who it might be. If someone in La Push wanted to tell you something, they normally just dropped in.

"Hi Rach, it's me," came Paul's voice. He sounded apologetic, and slightly stressed. "Look, I am so sorry to ask you to do this, but would you mind if, instead of going out tonight, you came over to my place instead? _My mother_," he growled the last two words, "is insisting on meeting you."

"Yeah, sure. That'd be good." I said. I didn't mind meeting his mom at all. I was curious as to why he seemed to dread the meeting, though. "I don't want her to scare you away," he had joked the other day. I didn't know what he was really worrying about. Was she rude? Pushy? Whatever it was, it wasn't going to send me running.

He sighed. "Thank you, Rachel. That means a lot. I'll pick you up when I'm done patrolling." After I got off, I walked in to talk to Dad and Jake.

"I'm going with Paul to meet his mom tonight," I told them. Dad and Jake looked at each other, and burst out laughing.

"Have fun," choked out Jake.

"Why are you laughing?" I demanded. No one answered me. Perturbed, I marched upstairs to get ready. I showered, then put on dark jeans and a grey sweater (it was very cool out), along with a pretty necklace. I left my hair down, applied a little make-up, and spent the rest of the afternoon reading. Paul was on time, and we left to walk over to his house.

"I am so sorry you have to do this," he said desperately as we walked up his front steps. I was really starting to get nervous. He knocked, and I immediately saw a small face peer out from behind the curtains. I distinctly heard squeals coming from within the house.

"Oh shit," he muttered, covering his face with his hand. "I hope you still love me by the end of tonight."

The door swung open, answered by Paul's mother. "Rachel Black!" She shrieked, pulling me into a tight hug. She pulled me through the door, Paul following closely behind. She stepped back, and for the first time, I was able to get a good look at her.

She was a tiny woman, no more than five foot. She had a beautiful face, and wore a colorful, flowy top, paired with tons of gold jewelry. She beamed brightly at me, and I quickly returned the smile.

"Hello, Mrs. Maska," I said politely.

"Oh, Puh-leeez call me Vivi," she said. She hugged me again, pulling me away from Paul.

"Rachel, I am so pleased to have you here. What a wonderful influence you have been on Paul. Because," her face became overcome with emotion, and she flapped her hand, wiping tears away. "Because, I was so afraid Paul was becoming a _bad boy_. Me and , we just did not know what to do with our boys, always sneaking out..." she shook her head sadly. Oh, that's right. Paul had told me she knew nothing about him being a werewolf. Then, quite suddenly her face became jubilant.

"Then, Paul told me he was going out with Rachel Black, and I just knew I had to meet you. I knew that you would be wonderful for him because _your father is on the council_!" The volume of her voice had risen louder and louder until she was almost shouting with excitement. She was practically bouncing with joy.

I bit my lip to hide a smile. This is why Paul was worried about me meeting his mother? I liked her already. I had experience with drama queens; she reminded me so much of Becca. A tall man came around the bend, and Paul's horrified expression became one of relief.

"Thank God," he muttered. He smiled kindly at me and shook my hand.

Vivi placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "Garrett! Garrett, Rachel Black is here!"

"Yes, I see that, Vivienne," he said calmly. She clapped twice and scurried off into the kitchen.

"Hello Rachel, I'm Paul's uncle. You can call me Garrett." He led us into the living room, where we chatted for a few minutes before Vivi called us to dinner. She led us into the small dining room, and where she had heaps of chicken, rice, and vegetables covering the table.

Dinner was delicious, and despite Paul's mortification, I had a great time talking to his mom, as well as his uncle. She was unbelievably sweet, and entertained me with stories of her acting career in Chicago. She asked me how old I was, and I told her I would be twenty in two weeks. She turned to look at Paul incredulously.

"Why did you not tell me this?" She questioned, scandalized. "Now she'll think I don't care about her. I could have made a cake…" I placated her by telling her she was welcome to come to my house for my birthday. It would be an understatement to say that she was thrilled.

After dinner, Paul took me on a tour of the rest of the house. His room was small and neat, much like mine. I sat on his bed, and he came to sit next to me. "Rachel, I cannot even tell to how sorry I am I brought you here. My mom is…"

I laughed. "Paul, I'm happy I met her. She's great. Becca reminds me a lot of her." He looked surprised.

"Wait, you're not like afraid of her?" He asked. I burst out laughing.

"No! I can't wait till she comes for my birthday. She's so much fun." He chuckled nervously.

"If you say so…" he said uncertainly.

I left at ten, Paul going with me to walk me home. Vivi made me promise that I would visit soon. After hugging me several times, she finally permitted me to leave. I said good-bye to Garrett, and we spent the quick walk laughing over the night's events. He kissed me on the front steps, as I whispered "I love you," into his ear.

"I love you, too Rach. Forever." I grinned at him, bestowing one last kiss, before walking into the house.

**A/N: So what do you think?!I don't think it was the greatest,but please review!! How did you like Paul's mom? A little nutty, but I love her character. :P**

**Okay, so before I write the next chapter I NEED IDEAS! What should happen next? More romance or less? More drama? Should Jake stir up some trouble by bringing up Rach's old BFs? Should Rach find something out about Paul that she shouldn't have? Should someone come to visit? I NEED your opinions! Leave it in a review, or PM me. I can't write till I have ideas!**

**Love, Gracie**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hello, lovely readers! I just want to send out a big thank you (Twilightaholic1122, Miss Ebbie Page, SweetlyBroken33, AMCovenant-March, dadysgrl123456, Em, ChloeHeartlessx, and Jessica1018). You guys have been so great with reviewing and sending me your amazing ideas! Sometimes I think you guys should be the one writing this. Like last time it was so hard to pick so I tried to put a little bit of this and that in from your suggestions. It seemed like everyone wanted more drama and romance, so I tried to have this chapter cover both! So hope you guys like the chapter…**

I pushed open the front door, the warm house a welcome sanctuary from the gusty winds surrounding the house. I was exhausted. I had spent the entire day looking around for a small apartment of some sorts, and came up with nothing good. There weren't really any apartment complexes or buildings of any sort, so I had been perusing around, looking at the limited choices the rez had to offer. None were promising. I slammed the heavy door shut and went over to the couch, plopping down next to the sleeping Jake.

His eyes immediately snapped open, closing again when he saw who it was. "Thanks for waking me up," he muttered grumpily, but I could tell there was something different about him today. There was more… fire in him. Something about his eyes…whatever it was, I was happy to see the change.

"How was house-hunting?" he asked sarcastically. Jake was happy (well, a little less moody) when Dad told him I would be staying. He became a grump again when Dad told him I would be getting my own place, even if it was just five minutes away. I found out why soon enough.

"You know why she wants it, Dad, don't you?" he said, a sly grin coming over his face during dinner the other night. I felt my fists tighten and my mouth became a grim line. Why was it that he was only happy when he was causing me embarrassment? "Cause she and _Paul_," he uttered his name with contempt, "want to have a place where they can-" at that point I took his food away, which silenced him. He had shut up then, but he was always quick to let Dad know that the only thing Paul thought about was my body. Which was kind of flattering for me to hear (well, I liked to know that he was thinking of me), but not so sweet when your Dad hears about it, too.

"So Rach," he said, wearing a smirk on his face, "Someone called today. For you."

"Oh?" I asked. I wondered who it might be. Maybe Marleigh, or Kara? But why wouldn't they call on my cell…

"Yeah, this friend was around here, and wanted to talk to you. I invited them over for dinner later." He said, he smile growing wider.

"Who was it Jake?" I asked, frowning.

"Oh, no, they wanted it to be a surprise." He smiled wider. What was he so excited about? Ah, it must have been one of the girls. He was happy they were coming over. I shrugged happily. Maybe he was finally getting over Bella Swan…

"Great. _'They'_ can have dinner with us and Paul." He grinned wider.

"This should be fun." I smiled at him, and went into the kitchen. Hmm, if a friend was coming… what should I make? I had planned on serving leftovers. I decided on spaghetti- a quick and easy meal, a great favorite of Dad's. The food was ready in forty-five minutes. I left it to simmer on the stove, and went to the bathroom to freshen up.

"I believe your friend is here Rachel," called Jake in a sing-song voice. I hurried into the living room, expecting to see one of my good college friends. Instead Jacob opened the door, and one of the worst surprises of my life walked through the door. Anthony Preston. I stood there, hands on my hips, and fought the urge not to scream. What was this low-life doing at my house?

"Rachel," he said, taking my hands into his. "You look great." I slid my hands away from his, grimacing at him. He was my boyfriend when I had started college, right after I turned eighteen. I had met him on campus, and we had gone out for almost a year. He had been my first serious boyfriend, as well as my first time. He had even met my family. Then one day, I doubled back to my class, having forgotten my books. I walked in to find him screwing my young, pretty professor. Great way to end the year, huh?

"Anthony," I said, examining him. "What are you doing here?" I looked him over.

"I've come to see you."He was cute, with brown hair and green eyes. He did not of course have anything on my gorgeous werewolf… sigh. Focus. Idiot in the house. What to do? Oh, got it.

"You can leave now." I told him. Jake looked horrified at the turn of events.

"But Rach…" He said anxiously. I knew this was all part of a stupid plot to get rid of Paul (or at least make him insanely jealous.)

"No Jake," I said, my voice getting louder. "No. You need to stay out of my freaking business!" I pulled at the roots of my hair, growing agitated.

"Rachel," whined Anthony. That was another thing about him: he was always whining. "I've driven hours looking for you. I miss you! I never realized what we had! You're so smart, so beautiful… I'm different now! I've changed, and so have you. You have… a glow around you. It's-"

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure that has nothing to do with you." I told him. Anger boiled inside me. I had cried for days over this piece of crap and I wasn't wasting any more time with him. "You cheated on me, remember? You didn't even bother to apologize! Besides, I have a boyfriend. I don't want you." He jiggled from foot to foot, becoming irritated. Jacob kept peering out the door, like he was waiting for someone.

"What's going on?" came my Dad's voice as he turned around the bend. He stopped when he saw Anthony. Dad hated him almost as much as I did.

I gestured angrily at Jacob. "Ask him! He's the one who invited this asswipe over for dinner!" Jake looked a little unsettled now, as though thinking for the first time that this might not have been the best idea.

Dad pointed to the door. "Get out!" He thundered at Anthony. Stubborn as ever, he held his ground. He dropped to his knees, groveling in front of me.

"Rachel, I love you, I want to marry you," I looked disgustedly at him. He grabbed my hands, and to his misfortune, Paul came through the open door that very second, catching the end of the conversation. He looked outraged, and I was sure he was going to bust a vein.

"What did you just say to her?" He roared loudly, and for the second time, I was blown away by the force of his temper. Anthony looked up and sprang awkwardly to his feet upon seeing this giant man.

"Anthony, meet Paul, my boyfriend." I said in a fakely sweet tone. Daunted, but still persistent, Anthony moved closer to me. Paul was shaking, and I could see he was trying very hard not to kill someone.

"Don't touch her," snarled Paul as Anthony came nearer and nearer. Big mistake: Anthony does not like being told what to do.

"You mean like this?" he asked obnoxiously wrapping his arms tightly around me. This was too much for Paul- he pulled back his fist, and swung.

"Are you alright?" I asked softly. I was sitting in Paul's lap on the kitchen floor, dinner forgotten on the stove. It was over an hour later. Anthony had run off, yelling "I still love you Rachel!" behind him. My dad had to block the front door so that Paul didn't rush off after him and squish him to a pulp. It had taken twenty minutes for Paul to stop shaking, during which that time Dad and I had took turns yelling at Jake for inviting him here. Jake sat there silently the whole time, moody as ever, before Dad sent him off to take Paul's patrol shift for the night.

All of a sudden, Paul and Dad were best friends, verbally abusing Anthony for the next half hour before Dad carted himself off to bed, still muttering about no-good college boys. I rooted around in the fridge till I found a bottle of vodka, where Paul and I began to sip it in the kitchen. I didn't usually drink, even at parties, but Anthony brought up bad memories, and Paul seriously needed to find a distraction.

"Yeah, fine." He said gruffly, taking a big swig out of the bottle. I brushed a few strands of hair out of his eyes absentmindly, when suddenly, out of nowhere, he grabbed my small wrists in his. He pulled me tight against his body, and I gasped at the heat. It was always a shock to me. I was surprised, but didn't object when he pushed me gently down the floor, hovering on top of me. He crushed his mouth to mine, kissing me intensely. I wrapped myself tighter around him, my eyes rolling back in my head as he deepened the kiss. He was usually so gentle, so this was different; it reminded me of our first kiss. His tongue slipped into my mouth, and my hands wondered up his shirt across his smooth muscles.

"No matter how much he thinks he loves you," growled Paul, "I love you so much more." I giggled as the vodka seeped into my brain, making everything just a little fuzzy. _He's so sexy when he's jealous_, I giggled to myself. He pulled me back under, and I gladly went along for the ride.

An hour later the bottle was half empty, and we were still on the kitchen floor. Paul's shirt was off, and I giggled as he slowly removed mine, tickling my stomach with his fingers. His lips met mine again, and I took another sip of the liquor.

I was starting to get tired, the lights blurring above my head. I think Paul was starting to nod off too, his lips resting lightly against mine for moments before moving with mine once more. The room started to spin, and my mind was a whirl of lights, colors, and faces. The last thing I remember was knocking over the now empty bottle before conking out, Paul's snores fading into the background.

The sun slanted through the kitchen window, waking me up. It took me a minute to realize where I was, when I saw Paul laying next to me on his back with his mouth open. I sat up, and then lay back down. My head felt worse than it would have if I had banged it up against a rock. And believe me, I would know. I shook Paul awake, then slipped my shirt on over my head. He pulled me back down to him.

"Well, that was fun," he said groggily. I kissed him, and he rolled on top of me. The back door flew open, and we scrambled apart. Jake stomped passed us, sparing us a scathing look. Paul got up and hurried out, quickly pecking me good-bye. I guess he was afraid he and Jake would get into it.

I popped myself into the shower, the cold water and an Advil curing my mild hangover. I towel-dried my hair, and got ready for the day. My thoughts strayed to last night, and I laughed internally at the look on Anthony's face as he left. He would get over his minute-long infatuation, of that I was sure. I would probably never even see him again.

How wrong I was.

A/N: So let me know how it was! Can anyone guess what Anthony will do? Read to find out!

A few things:

Since I can't answer you in a PM: Em, your ideas are gonna work really well in future chapters. Thanks a bunch for sending them!

Chloe, thanks for all the advice!!! It is beyond helpful!

Have you guys seen the second New Moon trailer? (Sigh, Taylor Lautner…I want a werewolf!)

REVIEW!

Love, Gracie


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Heyyy! So I'm really sorry I didn't update yesterday, but this weekend has been busy. I'm about to run out again now, but I wanted to leave you guys with something! ( Em, thanks for the flower idea! You'll see it in here!) I'm gonna update again in about four or five hours, I promise! Enjoy! Sorry for any errors, I'll correct later, but right now I've gotta run.**

"So anyway, that's what happened." I said into my cell phone as I pushed a shopping cart through the miniature supermarket. I was talking to Becca, filling her in on what had happened with Anthony during the week. I tossed a few cans of soup into the cart and kept walking.

"Wow. I can't believe that asshole turned up at the house. And Jake invited him!" She jabbered on, berating him from the other end of the phone. "Well, at least he's gone now," she said comfortably. My brow furrowed as I thought of what I wasn't telling her. Every morning and evening, flowers were showing up on our doorstep, complete with ribbons and a card. The card always contained some kind of romantic message.

But it wasn't romantic. It was starting to get scary. And I was almost sure that someone was following me… I would get a feeling that someone was watching me, or trailing me as I went over to Paul's or Emily's. I was at the beach last week with Kim, and I was almost positive I saw him hovering at the edge of the trees. I didn't tell Paul or anyone else, because they would tell him, and he would be arrested on murder charges. I just hoped with all of my heart that ever I didn't tell Paul or anyone else, because they would tell him, and he would be arrested on murder charges. I just hoped with all of my heart that everything would be back to normal… soon.

We said good-bye, and I went to the check-out line. I hurriedly loaded my groceries into Dad's old car. The parking lot was dismal, almost completely empty, and I had that feeling again… I quickly drove home, and was relieved to see that the front door was open. Good, someone was home…

I walked in to see Paul sitting on the couch, eating a bag of chips. He had been laughing loudly, but quickly stopped, giving me his signature, love-filled stare. I laughed to myself. I had come to privately calling it "stargazing". He stood up and was next to me in a flash, his strong arms wrapped around my waist. "Hello, beautiful," he whispered, before pressing his mouth gently to mine. He hands traveled down my back, and I playfully slapped them away from the back pockets of my jeans.

"Hi," I said softly, touching the collar of his shirt. I frowned when I saw there was blood on it.

"Did Jake do this to you?" I asked angrily. He nodded a false hurt look on his face. I didn't care if it didn't actually hurt; he was _not_ allowed to touch my boyfriend.

"I bet you could make me feel better," he whispered, bringing my lips to his again. He pulled away after a few minutes, a dazed grin on his face. "Come on, I'll help you unload the car." All I had to do was close up the trunk. Paul can carry everything on the grocery list with one hand. I went inside to find him already eagerly going through the bags. He pulled out a fresh bag of Doritos.

"Yeah, more chips!" He said enthusiastically. "I just finished the other bag." He walked over to the garbage can with the empty bag. "What the hell is this?" He said angrily. I turned to see him holding the gushy note that had arrived this morning, along with a crushed bouquet of springy yellow daisies.

"Nothing?" I said. Paul began to shake his eyes locked on the note. I winced that had been a particularly lovey-dovey one. "Paul, Paul," I said, walking over to him and wrapping my arms around him. "It's nothing that matters. Anthony is just, once again, being stupid." He stopped shaking, and I took the flowers and card away, burying under more garbage. I didn't think it was a good idea for him to keep looking at it.

"It's not okay, Rachel. That guy is obsessed!" I was seriously glad he didn't know about him following me. "Listen," he said seriously." Whenever you are home alone, you need to lock all the doors and windows. I'm gonna go outside now and see if I can catch his scent." Paul disappeared out the back door, and I put the food away. He was back in five minutes, looking even more pissed than before. "I caught his scent. It was down by the beach, maybe a few hours old." He took my hands in his, his eyes boring deep into mine.

"I need to go. When I phased the guys were all in my head, saying they had big news. I'll be back in an hour. Your Dad should be home in fifteen minutes. I want you to be extremely careful. You got it?" I nodded. I knew he was being overprotective, but I was still scared. Paul's face was pained.

"I would not be leaving now unless I absolutely had to. Which I do. Sam made it an order. Be careful, Rachel. I love you." One scorching kiss later he was gone. I locked the backdoor, and went into the living room to watch TV. I needed to calm down. I could see anyone coming from here, and Dad would be home in a few minutes. Nothing to freak out over. My muscles were tense, though, and every creak of the house made me start in alarm. About ten minutes after Paul left, I heard the back door open loudly. It almost sounded forced, but that must have been my imagination.

Phew. Dad was back. I got up and stretched. I really needed to get a handle on my nerves. I sauntered into the kitchen, about to ask him if he wanted lunch. I stopped on the threshold. Something wasn't right. There was something in the air… I barely had time to see the busted lock on the door before Anthony stepped out of the shadows in front of me. I gulped air, backing away. He was brandishing a rusty knife, his eyes on the prize. Me. I made a break for the front door, pulling open the locks as fast as I could.

The lights went out. I sucked in air, desperately pulling at the doorknob. Strong arms closed around me, and a cloth was placed over my nose and mouth. I kicked as hard as I could, but my mind told me it was hardly any use. I was already drugged. My body slumped to the floor, and the last thing I saw was Anthony staring over me before everything went black.

My eyes opened drowsily. Remembering where I was, I kept them firmly closed, thinking it was probably best for him to think I was still asleep. I was lying down on a linoleum floor, my sticky cheek pressed against it. I peeped open one eyelid infinitesimally. We were in a motel. I actually recognized the name. Anthony had stayed here in Port Angeles about a year and a half ago when I brought him here to meet my family. I could remember the name of it: Hattie's Harbor Inn. It wasn't a very nice tourist place, but more of a seedy joint. I could see two red duffel bags thrown haphazardly next to me. Anthony was talking on the phone from the bathroom.

"Thank you for your help with the reservations," he said in a smooth voice. "So Flight 645 to Thailand will be leaving in four hours?" There was a pause, and he let out a relieved sigh. "Thank you. We'll be there." My muscles tensed up, and I gingerly tried to move, but I saw that my hands and feet were bound. I struggled against the bonds. There was no friggin way I was going to Thailand with Anthony!

He had kidnapped me, and was planning on moving me out of the country. There was no way I was going to stand for this. Paul's face swept into my mind, and I almost cried. What would I do without him? Without Dad, and Jake? I fought harder, bringing my hands up to gnaw at the cloth with my teeth. I heard his footsteps, and I tried to pretend to be asleep, but it was too late. He had seen me moving.

"Well, well, well," he said maliciously. "Look who's awake."

**A/N: Stay tuned everyone! I'll be back in a few!**

**Love, Gracie**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hey…So I know you have heard me say this like eight billion times, but I really do mean it when I say I love your REVIEWS! They put an enormous smile on my face. That's why I always update ASAP********. You all seriously are the best! Your support means so much. **

**So I left off with Rach being kidnapped by Anthony…cliffhanger!! Sorry guys ;). I really did have to go. Here's what happens next! Please review!! I want to know what you really think! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

Chapter 10

"Anthony, get your ass over here and untie me!" I said angrily. I struggled into a sitting position, and scooted back against the wall. He smiled serenely at me.

"No," he said calmly. I wanted to wipe that smirk right off his face. I opened my mouth to let forth a stream of profanities, but thought better of it when I saw him pick up the rusty knife, holding it lightly in his fingers. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. I could not freak out. This guy obviously was not in his right mind; I couldn't fight him, not like this. Even if I wasn't tied up it wouldn't be easy to overpower him; he wasn't like Paul, but he was still strong. I needed to control myself, or there would be even less of a chance that I would see Paul again.

"Anthony, I am not going with you to Thailand. There is no way that you can force me onto a plane," I told him, trying to keep my voice calm. He made a baby face at me.

"Oh, but I think there is. I have several back-up plans. A few friends of mine work at the airport; they'd be willing to help me out. And, if you caused a scene, well," his mocking smile became even wider. "I have a few friends staying around La Push. It really would be too bad if something happened to Daddy… his wheelchair might slip, you know… the cliffs don't have enough protection in La Push to prevent an accident." He shook his head. "It really would be a shame."

My heart stuttered. Nothing could ever happen to Dad. I would just have to go along with whatever he wanted until I could… flag down a police officer or something. If I tried to run, he would call his friends, and they could hurt Dad. If Paul got held up with Sam, no one would realize anything was wrong until tonight… by which point I would be over the Pacific Ocean. If he came back early…well then maybe I would have some time. Werewolves could track scents, couldn't they?

I would have to try and drag this out for as long as possible then. Pretend I was sick, or something. Anthony sat down in a chair, pensively looking at me. He opened his mouth to speak.

"I can't understand something, Rachel. Why wouldn't you take me back? I love you." I resisted the urge to snort.

"Anthony, you slept with my professor."

"I only did it to get the grade!" He argued.

"That just proves what kind of person you are! Besides, I love Paul!" Before I knew it he was in front of me on his knees, the blade of the knife pressed up against my throat.

"Don't ever say that again." He whispered dangerously. I didn't respond. He pressed the knife harder against my skin. "Tell me you love me," he ordered.

"I love you," I said. "Paul," I added under my breath. He went back to sit on the bed, placing the knife next to his leg.

"Rachel, you don't love Paul. You love me! I am the best one for you. You are going to be so happy with me." He smiled contentedly as I fought the urge to bash his head into the wall. Not that I could anyway.

"Anthony, why did you kidnap me?" I already knew the answer, but I figured I should delay this as long as possible.

"I'm glad you asked. Well, Rachel, you wouldn't have me, and I needed you. I watched you throw away the flowers I sent, the notes in which I had poured my heart out to you. I needed the chance to show you that you need me, too." I tried to hide the eye roll, but I'm pretty sure he saw it anyway.

"Well, how did you know I was alone?" I asked him. He stood up again, and walked over to the window. He pulled back the dusty orange curtain to reveal an overflowing dumpster. Making a face, he pulled it shut again.

"I was in my car, on the edge of La Push, watching. I knew you mainly spent time at home, or with some of your friends. Your brother walked down the road into the woods. I knew your father was out- he's usually at Forks when there's a baseball game on, no?" I gulped. How long had this freak been watching my family? "Then," he smirked, "_he _came down the road, and went off the trail into the woods. I knew you must have been home." I didn't need a name to know who _he_ was.

I dozed on and off for the next hour; the drugs were still in my system. At one point I woke up, and I had to crawl to the toilet, holding back my vomit (I know, gross). I barfed into the toilet, wiping my mouth on a towel. I twisted my head to see Anthony standing over me, looking revolted. He never could stomach anything remotely icky.

"Could you not?" He asked obnoxiously. I scowled.

"It's the drugs." I said hollowly. He walked away, leaving me to fester there on the moldy floor. I stared up at the dim, flickering light. Where was Paul? I began to really worry. Maybe he wouldn't be able to find me. I felt myself start to hyperventilate, before puking into the toilet again. Lovely. About fifteen minutes later, Anthony was pulling me back into the bedroom.

"We have to go. Flight leaves in two hours." I clutched my stomach, writhing in fake pain. I needed to delay this as long as possible.

"Ahhhhh! My stomach!" I choked on fake bile as Anthony turned around, an incredulous expression on his face. I closed my eyes, pretending to have fainted. He swore loudly.

"What do I do now?" He muttered furiously. I felt myself being dragged, and I was back in the bathroom, cold water being thrown on my face. I opened my eyes. My hands were still bound, as were my feet. Yet, I could see that wretched knife sitting on the sink, not a foot away from where he had steadied me against the wall.

Anthony was temporarily distracted, muttering into his cell phone. If I could get hold of it, just get it out of his reach, maybe I could kick him hard enough so that I would have time to get to a phone. I wanted to be positive that he couldn't get the knife; from what I had seen in the last few hours, I knew he would not hesitate to use it. His back was to me, and my fingers fumbled around the handle. I quickly stuck it under a towel, and moved slowly towards his unsuspecting figure.

He whirled to face me, and I threw my body onto his, smashing him to the floor. Before I could further incapacitate him, he had grabbed hold of my shoulders and pinned me against the wall. "Now you've done it!" He roared. He slammed my body hard against the wall, and I saw stars. I knew I had done it; death would most likely be the end of this. Anthony wouldn't be able to hide from the police for long…but it would be too late for me. I could almost see the headlines. "Brutal Murder By Psychotic Stalker: Details Inside!" I grimaced. That would be a real moneymaker.

BANG. I cringed, waiting for the pain to set in. That noise was obviously an assault directed at me. The hurt didn't come. I peeked open an eye, and almost dropped to the floor, weak with relief. Paul stood in the doorway, looking more terrifying than I would have thought possible.

I was never so happy to see someone in my entire life.

"Paul!" I ran to him, even in my dizzy state, and threw my arms around him. He cupped my face tenderly for less than one single second, before storming across the room and picking Anthony up by the neck. He slammed his body into the hotel wall; I could hear sheetrock cracking behind him. Jared appeared next to me, along with Brady. Brady bolted the door, and picked me up, locking me in with him in the bathroom.

"Please!" I snorted, pushing him out of the way. "This is something I want to see!" I quickly rushed back out into the bedroom, where Paul had Anthony pinned to the ground. Anthony's face was turning an ugly shade of Paul and Paul squeezed his neck. There was a large crack in the wall, and I bit back the urge to laugh.

"If you EVER COME within a mile of her ever again-I don't care if it's intentionally or not- I WILL BASH YOUR BRAINS OUT! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?" Anthony spluttered. Jared pulled Paul off him.

"You really don't want to kill him, man," said Jared, obvious malice in his voice. Brady picked up the hotel phone and called the police. Paul grabbed Anthony by the shirt had had him against the wall again. He was talking too fast and low for me to hear, but to make a long story short, he actually looked happy when the police came and took him away. I'm not sure if I want to know about _that_ conversation.

Jared talked us through the police- the officers were very understanding, and took Anthony away immediately. Charlie Swan showed up, which speeded up the process, and pretty soon I was in Paul's truck, Brady and Jared riding in the bed. I leaned against Paul as he revved up the car, the heater warming up my cold arms. I shivered and Paul pulled me into his lap.

I buried myself into his body, and let myself fall apart. The paralyzing fear that had engulfed me for hours flooded out of me, and I cried in relief that I was finally, finally back where I belonged. He hugged me tightly, whispering in my ear, and after a few minutes, I relaxed.

"Rachel Black, you are the reason for my existence. From now on, I am never, ever leaving your side." I looked at him to see his face in pure agony, clutching me as though I was a life preserver. I touched his beautiful face.

"Paul you saved my life. 'Thank you' seems like a horrible excuse for gratitude, but I'm going to say it anyway. Thank you, Paul. I love you so much. More than the world." He breathed a sigh of relief, as though he had almost doubted it.

"Rachel, I don't love you more than the world, because you _**are**_my world. I couldn't live without you. When I came back to find you gone, with his _filthy_ scent all over the place, I knew something had gone wrong. I don't know how I controlled myself from _ripping his face off_ when I got there…"He brushed my hair out of my eyes, holding me closer. "You are the most amazing thing in my life." My eyes filled with tears, which I hastily wiped away as Jared got into the cab, pushing Paul over so that he could get the car going.

Paul ignored him, and gently brushed away my tears. He leaned in to brush his lips over mine, and I hastened to return the kiss. It was slow and gentle, tender, but filled with more love than I could have thought imaginable. I knew I would never want anyone but him. We stayed like that the entire ride, and were still locked together as we pulled up in front of the little red house. Everyone was crowded next to my door, trying to pull me out of the car: Dad, Sue Clearwater, Sam, Emily, Kim…

I let them grab me, hold me tight, know that I was safe. I thought back to just six weeks ago, when I couldn't wait to get away. I thought the memories would crush me, drown me in misery. I had come to learn that even though life was sad, it was also blissful, a gift. It was just part of the journey and the only thing you could do was learn to keep living. That was the only way to find love.

**A/N: Aww… I'm almost crying! **

**Up next: Rach is **_**way**_** too dazed right now to notice that someone very important is missing… but she won't be in the next chapter!**

**Tell me how the ending was! BTW, sorry about any errors. It's almost three o'clock in the morning where I live, but I NEEDED to get this up.**

**Review, okay? Please? For me?**

**Love, Gracie**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hi! Okay, so I just want to say, once again, that the support you guys are giving me is amazing. The alerts, faves, and REVIEWS make me soo happy. Two things before we begin:**

**I know how you guys all love good fics, so I just want to tell you about two I'm reading now:**

**The Wolf Files: Set Free is a great Paul/Rachel fic by my friend, SweetlyBroken33, who has given me so much support on this story. You guys should take a look at it. I'm sure you'll love it, just like me!**

**Finally Whole is a story about Embry, written by ChloeHeartlessx, another friend who has been unbelievably great to me! It's pretty new, and I'm already hooked! You will be too!**

**Alright in chapter 11, Rach gets home to find Jake gone. She has to figure this out, as well as get back on her feet after her terrifying kidnapping. In the meantime, she's still looking for a place to live…not sure Paul will like what she's picked out, though! Read to find out!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

Chapter 11

I slept fitfully through the night, Paul's warm body curled beside mine. He was like a bodyguard, not leaving my side for even a second. Every noise caused him to tense up; the stairs creaked, the willow branches tapped against the window, and he immediately would become defensive, hiding my body behind his as growls slid from his throat. I was okay, but in shock; if Paul hadn't been beside me, I wouldn't have slept a wink.

I was glad for his support; he was the only one who believed me when I said I was fine. Emily had been at the house all night, cooking and coming upstairs every hour to pour hot tea down my throat. Dad kept calling anxiously up the stairs to make sure I was okay, and every time I peeked out the window, a wolf was sitting there, staring into the dark night, waiting to spring at any lurking attackers. I had told them, along with the police, everything that happened, and everyone seemed worried about any possible henchmen of Anthony's. It was clear that he was dangerous, so any friends of his could be, too. I finally fell into a deep sleep around five in the morning.

I woke up to see torrents of sleeting rain pouring from the sky. It was impossible to tell what time it was. He was sitting on the bottom on my bed, head back against the wall, snoring loudly. I sat up and his eyes immediately snapped open. I smiled weakly at him, and pulled myself into his lap. I was starving; I hadn't eaten since yesterday morning, and my whole body ached from lying on the hard hotel room floor. I ran my hands through my hair, and winced when my fingers grazed over the back of my head. I had a hard lump from where I had been slammed against the wall.

Paul growled angrily when he heard me wince. "I should go down to the jail right now and rip his throat out for touching one hair on your perfect head…" I patted his arm, burying my face in his neck. It was so nice to breathe in his warm scent. My lips grew warm against his hot skin, and I snuggled against his chest.

"I'm going to go eat." I told him. Before I could lift a finger he had picked me up and was on his way down the stairs.

"You need to save your energy," he told me seriously. I smiled gratefully at him, and studied his face. He was, as always, beautiful, but something was wrong. Dark circles rimmed his eyes, and his shoulders were slumped, as though in defeat.

"Paul what's wrong?" I asked. His face grew too innocent.

"Nothing. We were all very worried about you." I cocked my head to the side, pursing my lips. He brought me into the kitchen, where Dad was sitting with Emily. They converged on me, hugging me tightly, and Paul sat down in a chair, with me on his lap. Emily put a large plate of food in front of me, and I began to eat, silently continuing to observe them.

I looked around at their worn faces. They all had that look, as though something was very wrong, but were trying their best to hide it from me. "Okay, tell me what the problem is." I demanded. They all exchanged glances, before quickly looking away. The telephone rang, startling them out of their melancholy states, and hurried to get it.

"Hello?" Asked Paul eagerly. His face fell, instantly becoming aggravated. "No Mom, you are not allowed to talk to Rachel." He listened impatiently to her rant. I was almost sure I heard sobs coming from the receiver. "I promise you, she is fine. She needs to rest now. I'll talk to you later." He promptly hung up the phone and sat down in another chair.

Emily was staring right at me, so I took the opportunity to interrogate her. "Emily, what is the matter?" She swallowed, and then opened her mouth as though to speak. Dad leaned forward in his wheelchair. Paul took the opportunity to shut her down.

"Don't tell her!" He said angrily. "She can't be put under more strain, she needs to recuperate!" He stood in front of me, as though to shield me from what they were about to say. I leaned impatiently around him so that I could see them.

Dad, ignoring Paul's protests, sighed heavily. "Rach,"he said. "Jake broke away from the La Push pack." My limbs went numb. Was that even possible. I listened silently as he gave me the details. Bella Swan was pregnant with some freaky mutant child, half vampire. It could be very dangerous to all humans, so Sam had wanted the pack to destroy it, along with Cullens, who would undoubtedly defend it. Jake defied him and ran over the boundaries to their land, to protect them. Seth and Leah followed.

I sat there, too tired and sad too feel much emotion at all. Jacob, go against his brothers? I couldn't believe him. Bella Swan didn't deserve one second of his time, forget about his protection. She was the one I hated most of all right now. My indifferent attitude suddenly changed to one of rage. I hated that girl more than anything right now. Who was she that Jake would leave his family for her?

I got up, my energy fully restored. I kicked over the chair and ran out the front door, still in my pajama bottoms. I needed time to think. I could hear Paul following behind me, and I turned around. "It's okay," I told him gently. "I'm just going for a walk. I'll be back in a little while." I kissed him on the cheek, and walked down the road. He disappeared into the forest alongside me. I knew he was trailing me, but I didn't mind. I just needed to get out of the house. I walked down along the beach, and into the general store, where Ms. Call worked.

"Hi Rachel," she said cheerfully as I went inside. I waved brightly at her, and walked over to the counter. She didn't know about the kidnapping, nor did many other people. We didn't want a lot of publicity, so it really was just our family and the pack that knew, along with the police, although Vivi had found out…Paul had made her promise that she wouldn't slip to anyone, otherwise she wouldn't be invited to my birthday party.

"Hi ," I said. The store was empty except for us.

"How are you?"She asked warmly, ignoring my bedraggled appearance. She was always nice like that.

"I'm doing fine. How about you?" We slipped into easy conversation, and soon I was telling her about how I was looking for an apartment.

"I was thinking of renting out the top floor of our house to someone else… Embry mostly hangs out in the basement, and our tenant just moved out upstairs. It has a big bedroom, with a kitchen, bathroom, and living room! Would you like to see it?" Her face was enthusiastic now. I smiled back at her. It sounded just like what I needed. My own little place.

"Sure." She closed down the store (it was almost dark anyway), and I walked over to her house with her. It was a great deal larger than my house, but not a mansion by any means. She took out a key ring, and instead of going out the front door, she took me around to the side. She opened the door there, and led me up a narrow staircase. At the top was exactly as she had described. A small living room, nice sized bedroom, a bathroom, and a kitchen. I knew it was the best I would be able to find.

I told her I would love to rent it, and we talked prices, her being much kinder than she should have been with charging me. I told her I would move in a few weeks, and she waved good-bye from the door. I walked out, feeling happy with myself, like I had accomplished something. It was what I needed today. Now all I needed was a job, I muttered to myself. I stopped in my tracks though, when I rounded the bend and came face to face with Paul.

"Please, please Rachel," he said, running his hands through his hair, "do not tell me that you are moving in with Embry Call."

Paul was in a bad mood the next day. He snapped at the doctor that Emily had come in to see me, but was happy when the Port Angeles police came in to tell us that Anthony did not have any friends working with him. There was no danger to us, except for whatever was being bred over at the Cullens. Dad was spending a lot of time over at Charlie's, due to the fact that he had been told Bella was deathly ill. They were not permitting her to be seen by him.

Everyone was tenser, worried, and, of course, missing Jake. My birthday would be in ten days, and Becca had called to ask me what I wanted. As usual, I told her nothing, but I was sure she would send me something fabulous. Now I had to come up with something to give her. I spent the next few days packing my things for the move as I fretted over what to send her. Paul would sit silently on my bed, grumpily watching as I put things into boxes. I didn't have all that much to bring. I would have to go shopping.

The days flew by, and soon it was only four days until my birthday. I had plenty on my to-do list, but the thing I was worried most about was my relationship with Paul. I wrapped my arms around him one day, tucking my head into his neck. "Paul, please don't be mad at me." I whispered. I knew he didn't want me to be in the same house as Embry, but he needed to relax. The pack got a much-needed laugh out of the fact that I would now be living in a house with Embry, to Paul's chagrin.

Embry still wasn't allowed to touch me: he had to stay an inch away from me at all times. And it wasn't like I liked Embry. We would be in two totally separate apartments. It didn't really help with Paul's mood though when Embry said to me, "We're gonna have a lot of fun, aren't we Rach?", winking. Paul broke his nose that day. I shook my head. Would that guy ever learn?

"Rachel, I'm not mad at you," he said, caressing my back. "I'll always love you more than anything. I'm just… pissed. Freaking Embry Call always finds a way to steal my girl." I laughed.

"Paul," I said, "I'll probably never see him." I knew that that wasn't entirely true, but I kept going. "We'll be in two different places. Besides, having my own place will have its advantages…" I raised my eyebrows at him, grinning. I saw his smile, and he leaned his face to mine. Before his lips touched mine, we were interrupted.

"Rachel!" Dad called loudly. Paul sighed.

"Yeah, it will definitely have its advantages," he said.

A/N: Okay, so once again, I need your help. In the next chapter, Rachel goes shopping for stuff for the house with Kim. What should she get Becca for her birthday? Let me know!

Please review!!!!

Love, Gracie


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Thank you all for the ideas for Becca's gift! I decided to use a combo Ms. Ebbie Page's and ChloeHeartlessx's (tons of thanks guys!) but I loved them all, so all of them will show up in this chapter or the next. Em I loved your idea concerning the sales assistant!!! That's in here. Once again, thanks to all who REVIEW (and fave and alert:P)! I can't even explain how happy I am to receive an e-mail containing a review!**

**Enjoy! Hope you like!!**

Chapter 12

"Let's go, Rachel! God, what is taking so long?" I heard her shuffling footsteps moving through the house, coming towards where I was in the kitchen. With Paul. Sigh. Just thinking about him made me happy. He had me wrapped up in his arms, his lips moving with mine. He heard Kim coming, and he broke away.

"Five more minutes," he groaned to her, sounding like a kid that wanted to stay in bed. He moved his hands to my hips, his forehead resting against mine. "Why do you have to go? I don't want to share you with Kim." I smiled widely at him.

"Because my twin's birthday is in three days, and I have yet to find her a present. Besides, Kim and I are friends. We need to go shopping." He pulled me closer, wanting another kiss, but Kim marched over and pulled him off of me.

"Back off, hon. We've got somewhere to go. Go hang out with Jared." She smiled at him, then grabbed my hand and proceeded to pull me out the door.

"Love you!" I yelled after him. He blew me I kiss. I fought the urge not to snicker, even if it was cute in a make-my-heart-melt kind of way. Imprinters weren't always manly, but they were definitely adorable. We hopped into Kim's car and took off, heading towards the highway.

"So we can find Becca's gift first, and then go clothes shopping. That'd be good, right?" Asked Kim.

"Yeah." We drive into Port Angeles was quick. We spent the hour swapping worst date stories and talking about our wolf boys. Kim found a parking spot by the boardwalk, and we walked down Main Street, passing several overly excited tourists on the way. I wasn't exactly sure what I had in mind to get her, but I had found the cutest picture of us the other day.

I had been looking through some old albums when I came across a picture I had never seen before. It was of me and Rebecca when we were eight years old. We had our arms wrapped around each other, and our matching grins were wide. We both had one front tooth missing, and couldn't have been happier. That wasn't why it made me cry, though.

I could tell that the one who had taken the picture was Mom. The gentle angles and perfect timing gave it away. She had always been good at photography, and loved creating keepsakes or memory books that you could look back on. I had always hated when she took my picture, making me stand there and smile yet another time, but now I was glad she had.

It was a beautiful picture, and I wanted Becca to see it. I had made my own copy of it, and I somehow wanted my present to involve this. Maybe I could get a nice picture frame… I explained what I wanted to Kim, and she led me down a quieter street, past a used bookstore, and into a small shop on the corner. The bell tinkled as we opened the door.

"My mom loves this store," said Kim as I took a look around. The simple blue sign called it "Dahlia's". It was one of those charming gift shops you only find at the beach. They sold unique mirrors and seashells, soy candles, and beautiful picture frames. Photo albums and tiny lamps lined the shelves, as well as garden décor.

We poked around. There weren't any workers around, but I could hear a television blaring from the backroom. I poked around, looking for just the right gift. I picked up a pretty frame. It was beautiful, made of sea glass, but I still wasn't sure…

"Rachel, what about this?" Kim's voice was loud in the silent store. I walked over to where she stood in front of a small jewelry case. Her finder was over a small platinum locket. It was beautiful, an intricately carved design on the front. A tiny, elderly man hobbled out of the back office, his glasses askew.

"May I help you ladies?" He asked politely. I smiled back.

"Hi, can I take a look at this necklace. He walked behind the counter, and after fiddling with a key for two minutes, he popped open the case and handed me the necklace. I admired it some more- it really was beautiful. It was delicate, but that design made it so different- it was something Becca would really love. I flipped it over. There were words carved into the back.

The man peered at the inscription. "It's French. It means 'for my other half'." I laughed out loud. That was perfect! Paul was my soul mate- I loved him more than anything. Yet, there was a bond between Becca and I. She was virtually my other half; we were identical twins! The gift was meant to be.

"I'll take it!" I told him. He wrapped it up, and let me pick a free birthday card. He bowed us out of the store, looking pleased with his day's work, before hurrying off into the back room. We headed deeper into Port Angeles, heading toward the department store that Kim said had the biggest clothing selection. I smiled into the weak sunlight, enjoying the cool breeze washing over my skin. Now that the pressure of finding a gift was over, I could enjoy myself.

We went through the silver racks, picking through various pieces of clothing. I picked out a new pair of jeans, and Kim found these gorgeous earrings. We sauntered over the make-up counter, looking through the tiny compacts. A woman in her twenties appeared behind the counter. She gasped in fake way when she saw me and Kim.

"Kim! What are you doing here? And who's this?" I could see Kim trying to disguise a grimace.

"Hey, Jackie. This is Rachel Black. We were just leaving…" Kim began to tug me away.

"No you weren't! Come back here! I'll give you ladies free a make-over." She pushed Kim down in the chair and began to pull out her make-up brushes. I leaned against the counter. This Jackie, whoever she was, was unfairly pretty. Tall and thin, yet still voluptuous, she had a model's body. Her clothes were extremely stylish, but her face was unbelievable. Defined cheekbones and bright turquoise eyes, I felt like a dowdy teenager compared to her. I guessed she was Native American by her coloring. She did seem a bit familiar.

Jackie jabbered on about her life story (she was Quileute, left the rez, and came to live here in Port Angeles). She wanted to be a professional make-up artist. I guessed she was maybe a year older than me. "So Rachel, what brings you back to La Push?" She asked as she dabbed liberal amounts of red lipstick onto Kim's mouth.

"I just finished up school, so I'm home for a visit. I think I'll be hanging around though. I'm going out with this guy…" Her head snapped up.

"Who? Who is he?" She looked ravenous for information. I faltered, and kim cringed, looking like she had been trying to avoid this.

"Err, you probably don't know him. Paul Maska…" She dropped the mirror she was holding. Out of sheer luck, it didn't shatter.

"Oh no! You so totally should not be dating Paul!" She spit his name out like it tasted bad. She moved closer to me and patted me on the arm. "I used to go out with Paul." Kim began to cough violently. My mouth popped open. This girl went out with Paul? Oh shit, I didn't have a chance.

"Don't worry, I don't want him!" Jackie laughed. I smiled fakely back. I wasn't getting it.

"What's wrong with dating Paul?" I asked her. She was still smiling endearingly at me. It was really starting to annoy me. Jackie sighed dramatically, and I could feel another long story coming on.

"When Paul was a junior, he asked me out. I thought he was cute, so I said okay. I didn't really expect anything to come from it. He was still young, and I was more experienced." I could feel my cattiness coming out. Yeah, I bet she was, I thought miserably to myself. I wasn't sure this was something I wanted to hear.

"We went out a few times, but I began to realize a few things about him. For one thing, all he ever wants is a girl's body. Whether he just wants another kiss, or he's aiming to get laid… that's all he wants. He's also a major player. Even when we were going out, there were always girls all over his lap, hanging of his arm… ugh. And then one day when I had to stay after school late-my skirt had violated dress code-I came outside to find him making out with this Forks girl." I was frozen. My beautiful, sincere Paul, a player? What had been going on when I was at college?

Paul had told me that he had one or two girlfriends. That he had never felt this way about anyone. I knew he loved me because of the imprint, but was all the rest crap that he made up? I wasn't sure. I had to judge Paul the way I knew him. I would just have to watch closely.

She was done with Kim, and set me in the chair. My mind was going at a million miles an hour. Did what she say have any truth in it? She continued talking about her job, and Kim and I ran out of there as fast as we could. We went to the bathroom and, despite my uncertainty with Paul, I burst out laughing. We looked like clowns. I turned on the water and washed Jackie's make-up down the drain, wishing I could do the same with her words.

Paul was upset. Not angry, but upset. I wasn't happy, and neither was he. I wasn't being pissy, just thinking about what Jackie had told me. I was quiet, and I didn't want to mention her to him. He took me into his arms. "What's wrong, Rachel?" He asked me. I just smiled at him, and shook my head, trying to play it off. The only thing I could think was 'how many other girls had he held in these arms?'.

"I'm just tired," I told him that evening. I went to the post office to send Becca my gift after putting the picture of us in the locket. I went to bed, hoping that tomorrow would bring a better day.

**A/N: Not the happiest chapter, but good things to follow! **

**Coming up: **_**Romance,**____**Drama,**_** and a phone call from Jake… I'll post tomorrow!**

**If everyone could please review! It would mean so much to me. One word is fine!**

**Love, Gracie**


	14. Chapter 14

**So here it is! It's Rachel's birthday, and she's not all that thrilled… what is Paul hiding? Does he have another GF? Was he a player before he met her? Read to find out!**

**Big thanks to Em and Chloe, who really helped me out with ideas for this chapter!!**

**This is a more dramatic chapter than romantic, but fluff is coming! Next chapter!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.**

Chapter 13

I stood in the living room, my lips pressed tightly together. Today was August 31st, my birthday. I was twenty years old. I glanced around the room. Everything was in order. The tacky, but still imperative, streamers hung from the ceiling. The plates were set up for cake, and I knew Dad was hiding my presents in the coat closet. Dad, Vivi, and Garrett would be back with the pizza and cake within twenty minutes. Quil and Embry would arrive later. There was just one very important thing missing.

My boyfriend.

The clock read 5:41 pm. Paul had promised me that he would be here a little before five to hang out with me. I knew he had patrol, and he got off at three. I knew I wasn't more important than Paul's job. No, I would never put myself on that pedestal. The people of La Push came first. I was okay with him running late. I just wish that he would call.

I wasn't that girl that would obsess over where her boyfriend was every minute of every day. But lately, things had gotten a little… suspicious. Paul was never there when I woke up. He couldn't come over to watch TV, or eat lunch. When I did see him, he was always running a few minutes late, and had circles under his eyes. He would get a text message and go running out the door. I had read enough magazines to know the warning signs.

Was Paul tired of me? I knew I wasn't special. But he said he loved me more than anything. That the imprint only made his love stronger. What if he was lying? What if he was bored? We hadn't had sex yet. We were waiting for the right time. Maybe he was going to someone else? He had been with girls like Jackie. I gulped. What if he had decided to fight the imprint?

Paul came jogging up the path, and I felt my eyes narrow to deadly cat slits. I loved Paul. I knew he loved me too, but what if it _was_ only because of the imprint? If he didn't truly want to be with me, fine. It would shatter my heart, true, but I deserved to know. The front door opened and Paul stepped in, looking tired, his clothes rumpled. He swept over to me and wrapped me up in his delicious scent. His hands began to roam over my body.

"Happy birthday, baby. I'm so sorry I'm late. You look beautiful." As much as I wanted to melt, I remained stiff in his arms. I took three hours to get dressed up for him, and he just saunters in late with a casual 'sorry'? Oh no, he doesn't. 'Sorry', pal.

"So how many other girls have you said that to lately?" I asked grimly, pulling away from him. He looked shocked, and moved closer to me.

"Rach…?"

"No, Paul, I'm serious. Have you been seeing other girls?" He looked dumbfounded, as though I was speaking Japanese.

"I know things, Paul!" I said, trying to hold back tears. "You're always late, or running out. You don't have time for me. Are you tired of me? Are you trying to get laid, huh? You know who I ran into the other day? Jackie. Your ex-girlfriend, She told me the only thing you cared about was a girl's body, and that you were a player." Paul looked stupefied.

"I don't even care that much if you always were going out with girls, as long as what you say know is the truth. But I don't see how it is, sometimes. She was absolutely gorgeous. How can I compete with that? Am I not satisfying you? Because you never said anything. I deserve to know if want to be with other girls, and now, with you always being late…I just don't know what to think." I stood across the room from him, trying not to show how upset I was. He stood there, frozen to the floor.

"Rachel, I only care about you. I'm not seeing anyone else. I've just been really busy with work. You are the only one I'll ever love! How can you even think that you can't compete with a skank like Jackie? She lied to you about me! I'm not going to anyone for sex." He shuddered. "You are the most beautiful person I've ever seen!" He came over to me and tried to pull me into a hug.

"But is that really what you think, Paul?" I asked, tight-lipped, my arms folded. "Or has the imprint just changed who you are?" I walked away from him, moving to open the front door, where I could see Vivi, Dad, and Garrett congregating, juggling various packages. I unlocked the door, and turned to face Paul, who was looking more visibly upset than I had ever seen him.

"Happy birthday, my dear Rachel!" Squealed Vivi, throwing her arms around me and kissing both of my cheeks. I smiled at her. She was dressed up in a dramatic fashion, a dark violet velvet dress and crystal earrings adorning her body.

She headed into the kitchen. In her typical fashion, she was oblivious to the tension. Dad and Garrett weren't though. They exchanged glances, and walked behind Vivi. I was sure someone was just around the corner, ready to spy on our conversation. Before Paul could say anything, I turned on my heel and followed them.

We crowed around the small table, eating slices of pizza. Paul sat next to me, and kept trying to touch me-a hand on my knee, his shoulder next to mine. Instead of making me happy, like it normally would have, it annoyed me. Didn't he get enough before he came over here? I didn't have to talk much, nor did anyone else- Vivi chattered on for a good twenty minutes about a recent shopping trip in Forks.

Meanwhile, Paul was acting like a kicked dog. If I stood up, he jumped up too to pull out my chair for me. I finished my pizza, and he hastened to get another slice, knocking soda into his mother's lap ( which supplied another solid ten minutes of conversation). I basically ignored him. I felt like such a bitch, the way he kept looking at me with big puppy dog eyes. He wouldn't even eat anything! All I wanted to do was bury my face in my hands.

We moved into the living room, and Embry and Quil joined us later. They happily finished up the entire pie that we had bought for Paul, casting me curious glances. I sat on the other side of the room from Paul, while he stared at me, looking like he was about to cry. Dad soon brought out the cake, and everyone sang happy birthday, Quil and Embry shouting loudly and off-key. Vivi tried to sing it opera-style, which would have made me laugh on any other day.

I blew out the candles, not bothering to make a wish. I felt too depressed. I half-heartedly picked at my cake, and soon Dad brought out the small stack of presents. I opened Dad's first. Real tears came into my eyes when I saw what he had given me.

"Dad!" I cried, rushing into his arms. Inside the paper lay one of Mom's hand mirrors. It was beautiful, recently repolished silver. Intricate roses decorated the handle. I couldn't have asked for anything more meaningful. But didn't she have two of them…

"I sent the other one to Becca,"he said gruffly. I smiled sadly at him. I knew that these were important to him.

"Thank you. I'll take good care of it." I gently wrapped it. Next I opened the card from Vivi and Garrett. There was two hundred dollars in the card. I hugged them tightly. Even though I was upset with Paul, they had become my family. I loved them too. Vivi dabbed at her eyes. Next I picked up a medium sized box. I carefully opened the lid. A note lay on top.

_Dear Rachel,_

_Hey twinsie! I miss you, sweetie. When are we going to see each other? So, I hoped this got there in time. This isn't super extravagant or loud like my other gifts, but I think you'll love it. I wish you were here with me. I want you to know that you are one of the most special people in my life, Rach. I can't imagine my life without you. You are an amazing girl- Mom is proud of you, Rach. Thanks for always being there for me- hope you know I'm always here for you. Say hi to everyone, and send me a pic of the boyfriend. Love you! Happy Birthday, Rach._

_-Becca_

I began to cry as I moved past the tissue paper. This was always a hard time of year for us. No matter how different we were, were we sisters, best friends. We needed each other. I picked up another, smaller note. _For the new apartment_- it read. I pulled out a double picture frame. It was a beautiful frame- purple stained glass. On the right side was a photo of me and her, the day she left for Hawaii. It was a sweet picture-our arms wrapped around each other, trying not to cry. And on the left, was the picture of us with the missing teeth. I laughed loudly. Even though we were individuals, we an unbreakable connection- mind and heart. This was proof of that.

I showed everyone, and they all exclaimed over it. Soon everyone was leaving. After a round of hugs and kisses, Billy had walked Vivi and Garrett out the door. It was just me and Paul. He kissed me once, and headed out the back door. "I'll bring you your present later," he whispered. I headed into the kitchen, and sunk down to the floor. I had a lot to think about. The phone rang above my head. I debated not answering it. Once, twice, I snapped it up. I hated the sound.

"Hello?" I snapped into the receiver. It hadn't been a great day, after all. A low, husky chuckle greeted my ears.

"Someone's not in a good mood," laughed the voice that belonged to my baby brother. "Happy Birthday, Rach." I sighed into the phone. I had wanted to be angry at him. I had made up my mind to scream and yell at him for betraying us. I didn't have the energy now though.

"Thanks, Jake. I miss you." He sighed deeply, miming me.

"I miss you, too. I wish I could come home. I wanted to call you for your birthday." I promised myself that I wasn't going to do this. He was older now; he could make his own decisions. I couldn't hold back though, not when I was in a crappy mood.

"Jake you can come home. You choose not to! Look, you know I'm not into judging people, but this Bella girl sounds like a bitch to me. Are you sure she and her devil spawn are even worth it?" I could hear Jake's breathing become faster, and I was sure I had overstepped my boundaries. I was surprised when I heard a low bark come from his throat.

"Yeah, Rach. Look, I'm not saying this is easy. Hell, this is hard right now, standing here holding a freaking vampire's house! But it's my decision." I nodded, forgetting that he couldn't see me. He was right, I guess.

"So how is everyone?" I knew he was asking about the pack as well as me and Dad. I could hear the sadness in his voice.

"Everyone is good. We all miss you, though." I could hear voices in the background.

"Seth, I'll be there in a sec! Look Rach, I have to go. I'll give you your present…soon. I love you."

"I love you too, Jake. So much. Call again soon." He was gone. I trudged up the stairs after saying good-night to Dad. I didn't know what Paul meant by later. Before or after he goes to his ho, I thought sarcastically to myself. I leaned back onto my pillows, and stared up at the ceiling. I opened my mouth to talk to the one person I know would always listen. Near or far, I'll always love you, Rachel, she had once told me. I knew she was here, now.

'Hi, Mom. I know you're here. It's my birthday today. It didn't go so well." I could feel the wetness in my eyes as I began to let it all out. "I miss you. I want you to be here. Just to see you again would be the best present I could ask for. Jake and Becca aren't here either… and I think Paul's cheating on me. But whatever. I'm fine," I said, knowing this wasn't the truth. I took a deep breath. "Dad gave me one of your mirrors. I'll think of you when I see it. I'll take great care of it for you. And, Mom? I love you, too." I began to cry loudly, and I hoped Dad couldn't hear me. It wouldn't be fair for him to see me break down like this.

I heard my window squeak open, and I didn't have to look up to know who it was. I felt his arms come around me, and, angry or not, I leaned into him, Even if he was cheating on me, I knew that I'd never be able to stop loving Paul. I calmed down enough to be able to look at him. He had a long, thin blue box on the bed next to him. He leaned close to place kisses on my tear-stained face.

"Before I give you your present Rachel," He said, "I'm going to tell you the truth about everything Jackie told you."


	15. Chapter 15

WOW. OVER 100 REVIEWS! THANK YOU!! You guys are fantastic! I wish there were better words to describe my gratitude for your amazing support and ideas! If it was up to me, you would all get your very own werewolf (I wish…sigh). ANYWAY, I just want you all to know how great you've been.

**A shout-out to Em, who really helped me out with this chapter. Her fabulous ideas play a big part in this chapter. : P**

**Enjoy, ideas welcome, and of course, REVIEW please!**

Chapter 14

Paul looked at me apprehensively, as though afraid I was about to hit him. I stared at him expectantly. "Okay," I said, motioning with my hands for him to continue. He ran his hands through his short hair, and licked his lips.

"I was hoping I could take you somewhere," he said shiftily. I realized that whatever he was doing, it was important. I suddenly felt nervous instead of annoyed. I nodded, and he silently pulled open the window. He gestured for me to go, an amused smile playing around his lips, teasing me. I bet he thought I was going to ask for help. I grinned back, and stepped out.

I leaped the two feet to the next branch, and shimmied down the tree. I could hear Paul gasp behind me. Serves him right for telling me to jump out a window, I thought to myself, quietly laughing. I reached the dewy grass, and Paul appeared beside me. "I thought you were going to wait for me," he said, still breathing heavily. I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Paul, you imprinted on the wrong girl if you thought I was going to be the "yes, dear" type," I told him. He snickered, and threw his arm over my shoulder pressing me against his bare chest. Do not get distracted, you're mad at him… I chanted mentally.

His hot lips touched my ear, and I shivered. "I definitely didn't imprint on the wrong girl," he whispered huskily into my ear. As much as I hated to, I pulled away from him. He still had a lot of explaining to do. I hopped into the cab of his truck, and he sat beside me. Instead of pulling out onto the road like I thought we would, the truck began to travel on the trail leading towards the beach.

We drove for a few minutes, way past First Beach. The trail led us higher, until we had reached the cliffs where everyone would sometimes go cliff diving. Paul got out of the car, and opened the door. I let him hold my hand, somewhat grudgingly. He held it between both of his own, cradling it like it was the most precious thing he had ever come upon. We walked around the bend, and I couldn't help but smile widely at the sight.

There on the cliffs, Paul had set up a checkered blanket. Dozens of flickering candles lay in the grass, the panoramic view of La Push spread beneath us. It really was beautiful. "Thank you, Paul," I said, my voice wavering. "This was so sweet of you." I could practically feel the happiness radiating from his body. He led me to the blanket, and sat down facing me.

"Okay," he began. "I really hadn't expected your birthday to go like this. But here it goes. I met Jackie in high school. She had already graduated, and was working in Port Angeles. I did like her. She was older, I thought she was cool. We went out a few times, and I actually liked her. She dumped me when I wouldn't have sex with her right away. I only had one serious girlfriend before that, and we had sex right away. I didn't want to rush things." Poison began to run through my system. It's a little something called jealousy, and it hurts. Paul picked up on my mood quickly.

"Baby, please,_ please_ don't be upset. I don't want you to be unhappy; I just want you to know the truth." I nodded into his chest.

"It's just hard to hear." I said, trying to control my voice. He laughed into my hair.

"Well, I'm glad you feel the same way about me. I think I have a harder job though," his tone was teasing, but he was dead serious. "How do you think I feel when all those guys stare at you when we go out? Or when Embry thinks about kissing you? Or when Anthony showed up and took you away from me?" His tone became softer.

"So, after she dumped me, she spread the opposite kind of rumors. I really wouldn't give a crap, except that you heard them and believe them. Rachel, I've never been a player. I might have been obnoxious and annoying, but not a player. That would be Quil and Embry," he said, winking.

Paul continued. "The reason I've not been able to hang out is because of work. You know, all bets are off, with this mutant being bred over at Cullen's. No one knows what's going on, so we're having double the amount of wolves running patrol as a precaution. All the hours have been making me tired." He smiled thoughtfully.

"And I was late this afternoon because I was setting this up," he said, gesturing at our surroundings.

I felt horrible. I had bought into that girl's lies like it was nothing. I had yelled at Paul, and made him miserable when he was only trying to make me happy and safe.

"Paul, I don't know what to say. I'm sorry I didn't trust you, and for acting so horrible. She just made me so jealous and upset." I told him, looking straight into his eyes. I hoped that he would believe me. He leaned in to kiss me, soft and slow. I leaned back, letting him cover my body with his. What a great present, I thought, absorbed into the kiss. After a minute, he gently pulled me back up into a sitting position. He looked disheveled, and a little dazed, which only made me want to kiss him more.

"And thank you, for this," I told him. 'It really is beautiful." He grinned happily.

"Thanks, but it's only the beginning your present. But before I give it to you, I just want to talk to you about a few more things. About what you said about me not being satisfied." I looked at my lap, my cheeks burning. What an idiot I was. Why would I say that? I couldn't pretend I didn't worry about it, though… He gently pulled my face up so that I was looking into his smoldering eyes.

"Rachel, I've never been more satisfied in my life. You are the only one I want. I do want to have sex with you, but I didn't want to rush our relationship. I'd never want any other girl. You're all I think about. It drives the guys crazy sometimes. And I can't believe that you would think you're less beautiful than Jackie. She's just some idiotic, fake girl. You, on the other hand," his eyes traveled down my body, "are the most beautiful, sexy, _breathtaking_ girl I've ever had the pleasure of meeting."

I threw myself into his lap, almost knocking him backwards with the force of my kiss. He smiled against my lips. "I guess I'm lucky you're mine then," he chuckled. I laughed along with him. He pulled out the wrapped box from his pocket, and handed it to me.

I ripped off the paper, and popped open the long case. A gorgeous bracelet lay on the velvet. It was set with beautiful amethysts. Two skillfully made silver letters hung from one end. One was a "P" the other was an "R". "Thank you, Paul," I said happily, trying not to cry. I couldn't imagine a better boyfriend. "I don't think I deserve someone as amazing as you." I told him. He was distracted, gazing longingly at me. He shook his head.

"I want you to see something," he said. "Close your eyes." I complied, wondering what he was doing. I felt his warm hands gently guiding my body back to the blanket, so that I was on my back facing the sky. He moved next to me, his shoulder brushing mine. "Open."

My jaw dropped. From where I was, I had a perfect view of the stars. There were only a few, very low clouds littering the sky. Thousands of them twinkled down to me, glittering like magnificent jewels. I had never seen anything so stunning in my entire life. "Paul," I said weakly. "I cannot tell you how much it means that you did this for me." I had never received a more stunning gift.

He pressed closer. "It means everything that you like it." He whispered. We lay there for a few minutes, staring up at the sky, marveling the absolute beauty. It was so peaceful, so quiet. I would have expected to feel tired, but I was keyed up, full of energy. I glanced over at Paul. He was looking at me. I smiled widely at him.

I took the bracelet from its box, looping it over my wrist. I tried to do the clasp, but couldn't get it. Paul's fingers nimbly crept over my wrist. His touch was like fire on my skin. He clasped the bracelet, but didn't remove his hand, letting his fingers trail over my arm. I stared into his eyes, thinking about what he had said. He wanted me, just as I wanted him. My thoughts continued. We loved each other, and were in the most romantic place on Earth. Why didn't we just…

Simultaneously, we both leaned forward, close enough for our lips to touch. It wasn't gentle and sweet like before, heat and passion taking its place. Pure desire propelled us forward. We moved faster than we ever had. I tangled myself in his limbs, pressing my hips against his, my legs wrapping tightly around his waist. His fingers knotted themselves into my wavy hair as he rested his weight gently on my body. It wasn't enough to make us happy, though.

Paul gently pulled the light fabric of my shirt over my head, trailing light kisses over my neck, collarbones, and chest. I heard him gasp when he saw my lacy black bra. I laughed, happy that I had decided to wear it, and quickly unbuttoned his shirt, eager to feel his skin on mine. My hands traced the hard, smooth muscles of his beautiful chest. He melted under my touch, but I could tell he wanted more.

We continued going farther than we ever had before, getting hotter and hotter with each minute. Soon we both lay there, breathing heavily, one step away from what we wanted. He asked me with his eyes if I was sure, and I gave my answer. I had never been more sure of anything in my life. I knew there would never be anything stronger than our love. It was the best thing in my life.

It would the perfect ending to a love story. But I knew ours was just beginning.

**Yay! I'm pretty happy with this chapter! Hope I did okay with the end ; P.**

**THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER OF THIS STORY. THERE IS MUCH MORE TO COME!!**

**Since I can't answer you review with a PM:**

**Em, thank you so much for your unbelievable ideas. Yep, the bouquet thing should be in maybe two or three chapters, unless you want to use it in a story of your own (let me know). As always, suggestions welcome!**

**Review guys!**

**-Gracie**


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